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Afterpiece: A Podcast About Educational Theatre
Afterpiece: A Podcast About Educational Theatre episodes
- Incorporating Play Reading in to Your Classroom
Website: www.DragooTheatre.com
Facebook: Dragoo Theatre Consultants
Incorporating play reading into the classroom can enrich students' understanding of drama, literature, and performance.
1. Select Appropriate Plays
- Choose Age-Appropriate Material: Select plays that are suitable for the students' age and reading level.
- Diverse Voices: Include works from diverse playwrights and perspectives to broaden students' cultural and social understanding.
- Varied Genres: Introduce different genres, such as classical, contemporary, comedy, and tragedy, to expose students to various styles and themes.
2. Create a Reading Schedule
- Plan a Reading Calendar: Set aside regular time for reading plays, whether as a dedicated class period or integrated into the existing curriculum.
- Balance: Incorporate play reading alongside other forms of literature and media.
3. Facilitate Read-Aloud Sessions
- Assign Roles: Have students take on different characters and read their lines aloud to make the experience interactive.
- Use Dramatic Reading Techniques: Encourage expressive reading and use vocal variations to bring characters and scenes to life.
4. Engage in Group Discussions
- Analyze Themes and Characters: Lead discussions on the play’s themes, characters, and conflicts to deepen students' understanding.
- Explore Historical and Cultural Context: Provide background information on the playwright, historical setting, and cultural influences.
5. Incorporate Performance Elements
- Act Out Scenes: Assign small groups to rehearse and perform selected scenes, allowing students to physically engage with the text.
- Use Improvisation: Encourage improvisation exercises based on the play to explore characters’ motivations and actions.
6. Connect to Writing Assignments
- Creative Responses: Have students write reflective essays, character analyses, or alternate endings based on the play.
- Scriptwriting: Encourage students to write their own short plays or scenes inspired by the plays they’ve read.
7. Integrate Technology
- Digital Scripts: Use online resources to access digital versions of scripts and multimedia elements related to the play.
- Virtual Tours and Interviews: Utilize online resources for virtual tours of theaters or interviews with playwrights to enhance understanding.
8. Encourage Critical Thinking
- Debate and Discuss: Facilitate debates on characters’ decisions, themes, and outcomes to promote critical thinking and articulate opinions.
- Compare and Contrast: Compare the play with other works by the same playwright or within the same genre to identify common themes and stylistic elements.
9. Host Play Readings and Performances
- Classroom Play Readings: Organize informal readings where students can share their interpretations and discuss their perspectives.
- Invite Guest Speakers: Bring in local actors, directors, or playwrights to discuss the play and provide professional insights.
10. Assessment and Feedback
- Evaluate Understanding: Use quizzes, essays, and presentations to assess students’ comprehension and interpretation of the play.
- Provide Constructive Feedback: Offer feedback on their participation in readings, performances, and discussions to help them improve.
12. Foster a Love for Theater
- Field Trips: If possible, take students to see live theater productions to experience plays in a real-world setting.
- Theater Club: Encourage students to join or start a theater club to continue exploring drama outside the classroom
By incorporating these strategies, play reading can become an engaging and educational experience that enhances students’ literary analysis, creativity, and appreciation for theater.
34 min - Incorporating Play Reading into Your Classroom
Website: www.DragooTheatre.com
Facebook: Dragoo Theatre Consultants
Incorporating play reading into the classroom can enrich students' understanding of drama, literature, and performance.
1. Select Appropriate Plays
- Choose Age-Appropriate Material: Select plays that are suitable for the students' age and reading level.
- Diverse Voices: Include works from diverse playwrights and perspectives to broaden students' cultural and social understanding.
- Varied Genres: Introduce different genres, such as classical, contemporary, comedy, and tragedy, to expose students to various styles and themes.
2. Create a Reading Schedule
- Plan a Reading Calendar: Set aside regular time for reading plays, whether as a dedicated class period or integrated into the existing curriculum.
- Balance: Incorporate play reading alongside other forms of literature and media.
3. Facilitate Read-Aloud Sessions
- Assign Roles: Have students take on different characters and read their lines aloud to make the experience interactive.
- Use Dramatic Reading Techniques: Encourage expressive reading and use vocal variations to bring characters and scenes to life.
4. Engage in Group Discussions
- Analyze Themes and Characters: Lead discussions on the play’s themes, characters, and conflicts to deepen students' understanding.
- Explore Historical and Cultural Context: Provide background information on the playwright, historical setting, and cultural influences.
5. Incorporate Performance Elements
- Act Out Scenes: Assign small groups to rehearse and perform selected scenes, allowing students to physically engage with the text.
- Use Improvisation: Encourage improvisation exercises based on the play to explore characters’ motivations and actions.
6. Connect to Writing Assignments
- Creative Responses: Have students write reflective essays, character analyses, or alternate endings based on the play.
- Scriptwriting: Encourage students to write their own short plays or scenes inspired by the plays they’ve read.
7. Integrate Technology
- Digital Scripts: Use online resources to access digital versions of scripts and multimedia elements related to the play.
- Virtual Tours and Interviews: Utilize online resources for virtual tours of theaters or interviews with playwrights to enhance understanding.
8. Encourage Critical Thinking
- Debate and Discuss: Facilitate debates on characters’ decisions, themes, and outcomes to promote critical thinking and articulate opinions.
- Compare and Contrast: Compare the play with other works by the same playwright or within the same genre to identify common themes and stylistic elements.
9. Host Play Readings and Performances
- Classroom Play Readings: Organize informal readings where students can share their interpretations and discuss their perspectives.
- Invite Guest Speakers: Bring in local actors, directors, or playwrights to discuss the play and provide professional insights.
10. Assessment and Feedback
- Evaluate Understanding: Use quizzes, essays, and presentations to assess students’ comprehension and interpretation of the play.
- Provide Constructive Feedback: Offer feedback on their participation in readings, performances, and discussions to help them improve.
12. Foster a Love for Theater
- Field Trips: If possible, take students to see live theater productions to experience plays in a real-world setting.
- Theater Club: Encourage students to join or start a theater club to continue exploring drama outside the classroom
By incorporating these strategies, play reading can become an engaging and educational experience that enhances students’ literary analysis, creativity, and appreciation for theater.
34 min - Theatre Superstitions and Traditions
In this episode, we discuss the intriguing world of superstitions and traditions in the theatre world.
Theater is full of superstitions and traditions, many of which have fascinating origins. The theater is rich with superstitions, many of which are steeped in tradition and lore.
These superstitions add a layer of mystique and tradition to the theatrical world, reflecting its rich history and the deep-seated belief in the magic and mystery of live performance.
Website: www.DragooTheatre.com
Facebook Page: DragooTheatreConsultants
34 min - Cutting a One-Act Play
This week's episode is about cutting a play for competition. This is a recording of a webinar that Billy led with theatre educators in Texas.
One Correction: our website is www.DragooTheatre.com
Facebook Community: Dragoo Theatre Consultants
25 min - Coaching Acting with Joe Reynolds
Billy discusses coaching the student actor with Joe Reynolds. Joe earned is BFA in Acting from University of Texas and an MFA from the Yale School of Drama.
Website: www.DragooTheatre.com
Facebook: Dragoo Theatre Consultants
50 min - Stupid Things People Say to Theatre Educators
Theatre educators are highly educated professionals. Most have the student loans and stacks of professional development training certificates to prove it. However, there are certain things that set theatre educators apart from other professionals. Billy and Annie discuss stupid things that people say to theatre educators.
Website: www.DragooTheatre.com
Facebook: Dragoo Theatre Consultants
31 min - A New Book: Here's an except of Excellence is Habit.
Billy even reads an excerpt of his new book, EXCELLENCE IS HABIT: Wisdom, Wit, and Advice from a Teacher.
Website: www.DragooTheatre.com
Facebook: Dragoo Theatre Consultants
Dragaud Soujournshttps://dragaudsojourns.com/
33 min
About Afterpiece: A Podcast About Educational Theatre
From the publisher's feed
Afterpiece is a practical, story-driven podcast about Educational Theatre hosted by Billy and Annie Dragoo. Each episode explores the real work of teaching theatre — balancing creativity with classroom realities, directing shows with limited time and resources, and building programs where students learn to think, collaborate, and grow.
Billy and Annie bring decades of experience as award-winning theatre educators, directors, and curriculum designers. They take listeners behind the scenes of the classroom and rehearsal hall, mixing straightforward advice with humor, honesty, and the occasional war story. Topics range from parent management and audition strategies to intimacy choreography, curriculum design, technical training, and the art of helping young performers become stronger thinkers and more confident artists.
Afterpiece is created for K–12 theatre teachers, community directors, teaching artists, and anyone who believes the theatre classroom is one of the most transformative spaces in a school. With guest insights, ready-to-use tools, and conversations shaped by real classroom challenges, the podcast gives educators strategies they can apply the same day.
New episodes drop twice a month.
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