Session Block 2

Saturday, July 13th, 1:15-2:30pm (EDT)

All of the Session Blocks will be hosted on Zoom Meeting. You will be sent an email, 24 hours prior to the next day's events, which will contain all of the log-on details for each event. As in an in-person Conference, please feel free to select whichever workshop you would like to attend in the moment.

Network: High School

Virtual Voices: Strategies for Playwriting and Performance in an Online School Drama Club

Session Chair: Maria Getz Beery

This session will explore strategies for incorporating playwriting, acting, and ensemble building activities and techniques in a drama club for an online school. The session will detail how to encourage and nurture young creative voices by adapting the drama club found in traditional brick and mortar schools to the online school community, where many students often hail from a diverse background geographically, socio-economically and socially. Acting games, playwriting activities and the production process will be explored through the online environment, especially the empowerment of grades 6 through 12 actors and writers through the creation and performance of student written one-acts over the course of the school year.

Network: Applied Theatre

Drama Therapy 101: A Powerful Tool for Building Emotional Safety in Ensembles

Session Chair: Marielle Duke

How can we utilize Drama Therapy-based interventions to highlight and celebrate the emotional journey of ensemble members within a class or rehearsal process? In this interactive workshop, two Registered Drama Therapists and former theater kids (who still love to dabble!) will guide participants through embodied activities exploring emotional expression and containment. During this workshop, we'll explore ways to navigate challenging material within an ensemble that honors and uplifts their unique experiences and identities. Participants and facilitators will explore how we can celebrate that emotional safety is a vital part of any theatrical experience. A reflective discussion will follow the activities, which may also explore when it may be necessary to bring in a trained counselor or refer an ensemble member to counseling.