Middle School Acting

Vision

The greatest challenge for a middle school actor is self-confidence. While most middle school students have gained attention spans and knowledge, which enable them to understand more complex ideas, many have also acquired the “no” voices that undermine their spontaneity. A great way to build confidence and silence the “no” voice is to try new things: so the shy girl is encouraged to yell, the restless boy is required to move in slow motion, everyone tries on a new persona, if only for a minute, and everyone grows. No one is “wrong” and bravery counts. Each person is treated with respect and celebrated for his or her particular gifts.

Class

Middle School Acting progresses on two tracks: improvisatory game playing, and technical acting techniques through monologue and scene work. We play theater games to get to know and trust each other (also to make us laugh); and we work on scripted material: discovering how to build a character using clues in the dialogue, how to tap into our own imaginations to make the characters real, how to work with another actor, and how to make carefully rehearsed scenes appear spontaneous. The Black Box theatre becomes a safe place for students to discover and express their own unique characters, explore non-verbal and verbal communication, try out a new “voice”, develop self-confidence, and, most of all, play.