OWS Drama

Partnerships with Older Drama Students

2012-01-26T10:53:00.000-08:00

Students here at OWS are lucky. They get to have drama class as a part of their educational experience from Kindergarten through Eighth Grade. I certainly did not have this opportunity, in fact Drama wasn't offered as an option at my schools until high school. I hope that I inspire my students to continue taking drama classes or pursue acting once they leave OWS. To foster this sense of drama being a lifelong pursuit I am partnering with area high schools to bring high school theatre students here to work with my students.

On Tuesday, students from the Northwest School came out for the afternoon to lead the First Grade students in drama workshops. The high school students taught games and created frozen picture scenes with the First Graders. Then they asked the little ones for ideas to add to a play they are writing. Once the play is finished they are going to be coming back and performing it for us. It was great fun to see 6 year old and 16 year old students working together!

Next, I am going to have the Improv Troupe from Newport High School come and lead some workshops with the Fourth Grade students during our unit on Improvisational Theatre.

We are just starting this exciting program and I can't wait to see how it expands!

Wrapping Up 2011

2011-12-16T12:16:00.000-08:00

As we are quickly approaching winter break the students have been very busy in drama classes!

Kindergarten students have been learning about the dramatic elements of plot, setting and character. We have read several stories looking for these elements and then had a great time acting the stories out. The students also got the opportunity to create their own short plays to perform for one another. All of their plays had interesting plots, clear settings and strong characters...and they were great fun to watch!

Students in First Grade participated in a First Thanksgiving narrative pantomime activity to compliment their study of the First Thanksgiving in class. We planted and harvested crops, went fishing and hunting and then prepared and enjoyed our feast. It was fun for the kids to explore the content in a different way! We then spend some time reviewing the dramatic elements and the students worked in small groups to write and perform winter scenes.

Second Grade students have been busy exploring the concepts of Space and Community. We spent several weeks working on a Reader's Theater play called Space Wrecked about a group of space tourists who find themselves stranded on an unfamiliar planet and have to create a community in order to survive. Next, we did an activity called "Coming Together" which encouraged the students to explore how communities form from groups of individuals in an abstract way. I was impressed by the complex connections the students made during this activity.

In Third Grade we have been studying the 5 W's: Who, What, When, Where and Why and how they are related to drama and acting. The students have created characters, drawn set design plans, written plots and applied different motivations to their acting. After we return from break we will begin rehearsing for the Third Grade performance.

Fourth Grade students have been working on their stage voices. We have been doing different exercises to help with our breathing, articulation, rate, projection, clarity, expression and pitch. The students used their stage voices to do dramatic performances of poems. They had the choice of several poems and were able to perform either individually or in small groups. They all did a fabulous job in their final performances!

I hope you all have wonderful break from school and I'm looking forward to more adventures in drama class when we return in 2012!

What's happening in K-4 Drama!

2011-10-27T15:49:00.000-07:00

Students in Kindergarten and First Grade have been exploring the concepts of dramatic movement and observation this month in drama class. We began by playing several games which emphasized physical control and spatial awareness. Then we began to focus on of awareness and observation. The students have been using different senses, mostly sight and hearing, to complete challenges and succeed at games.

In Second Grade Drama classes we have been working on teamwork. All of the games and activities have emphasized different aspects of teamwork and encouraged the students to work cooperatively.

Students in Third Grade have been studying the art of pantomime acting, that is acting with making any vocal sounds or using any props. The students learned the basic qualities of good pantomime acting and have since been applying these qualities to communicating effectively in pantomime. They have completed several challenges and created wonderful pantomime scenes.

Fourth Grade students have also been practicing their pantomime acting at a more advanced level. These students are solving more advanced dramatic challenges and creating more detailed scenes all without speaking.

This year has gotten off to a great start! I can't believe it's almost November already! I'm having so much fun teaching and learning from your children every day.

Lisa Edwards

Specialists' Night

2011-10-07T14:53:00.000-07:00

I will not be at this event, but I encourage you all to attend! It is a very fun evening which gives you additional insight into how your kids spend their days. If you do have any Drama specific questions please e-mail me to schedule a conference during Fall Conference days, October 20 and 21.

Specialists’ Night

Thursday, October 13th, 6:15-8:30 P.M.

Does Your Child Love Going to Specialist Classes?
Come and Experience the Fun and Learning!

Spanish K – 4, Art, Music, and Physical Education specialist teachers are excited
to share their programs with you! They have planned activities similar to those they do with your children and are looking forward to doing them with you.

Wear comfortable clothing and be prepared for an enjoyable evening.

Meet in the gym for a welcome and directions to the lessons and activities.

We hope to see you there!

If you have questions about:
Drama, Library, or Computer classes:
Please make an appointment to meet with those teachers during Fall Conferences, October 20 and 21.

Welcome Back!

2011-09-21T13:50:00.000-07:00

And we're off! Another fabulous year of fun filled drama classes is just beginning! This year I have the privilege of teaching every student at Open Window School and Vista at Open Window School. That's right every student, Kindergarten through Eighth Grade, will be having weekly drama classes this year. I think this is such an exciting change and I can't wait to see what the middle school kids can do!

I will be updating this blog twice a month with news about drama classes and any other information I think you will find useful. If you're curious about what goes on in drama classes, this is the place to look for answers. You can also feel free to contact me directly with any specific questions.

lisae@ows.org
(425) 747-2911 ext. 280

I'm looking forward to another wonderful year with all of your amazing children!

Lisa Edwards

Wrapping Up Another Great Year!

2011-05-31T13:36:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe but we only have eight more days of school this year! We have been busy finishing up projects in drama classes and reviewing all we've done this year in movement classes.

Kindergarten students just finished a unit all about insects! We moved like caterpillars metamorphosing into butterflies, made up our own insect stories to act out and even had an "Ugly Bug Ball," where we made antennae, wore wings and had a dance party!

First grade students finished creating their fabulous marionette puppets and then used these puppets to make their own fairy tale puppet shows.

In Second grade the students have been busy rehearsing the plays they wrote based on several different folk tales. They will be performing these plays for their classmates before the end of the school year.

Third grade students just finished up their big set design, costume design and monologue projects all using the play CSI: Mothergooseland as a base. I was very impressed by the creativity shown by the students, especially in the original monologues they wrote and performed.

In Fourth Grade we are ending the year with a unit on Improv. The students are having a great time playing improvisational acting games straight out of the Theater Sports playbook. It's nice to finish the year with a lot of laughter!

Movement classes have been spent reviewing all of our previous units, with students having two or three different options each class. It has been fun for me to see which activities they choose to do again, and how much they remember from classes we had back in September!

It has been another fantastic year of Drama and Movement here at OWS! Next year, I will not be teaching Movement any longer, but I will be taking on the additional challenge of teaching Drama at the middle school level. So check back here in the fall to find out what's happening in Drama classes from Kindergarten all the way to Eighth grade!

I wish you all a wonderful summer and I look forward to seeing you in the fall!

Lisa Edwards

Why are performances important?

2011-04-26T13:53:00.000-07:00

Here at Open Window School the students have many opportunities to perform every year. From small performances during drama classes, to all school assemblies and grade level performances on the stage for friends and family. This time of year is filled with grade level performances, at least one a week for the next several weeks. Planning and rehearsing these performances is one of my favorite aspects of my role as drama teacher. In the midst of switching from second grade's fabulous show, Everyday is Earth Day, last Friday to the Kindergarten Multicultural Parade and Performance this Thursday, I found myself reflecting on the importance of performance and how wonderful it is that our students get so many opportunities to perform.

You may or may not be aware that, according to several different surveys, the number one fear among adults is speaking in public/performing in front of an audience. Many adults are so afraid of public speaking that it has held them back in their careers and social lives. I want all of my students to have the confidence to speak or perform in front of audience if they ever want or need to. I am well aware that the majority of my students are not going to pursue an acting career, but public speaking is an important skill to master. One of the goals of all our performances is to give the children the confidence they need to feel comfortable speaking or performing in front of people.

The performances start out simple with large group song and dance numbers and become more complex with individual students speaking/singing/dancing alone. By Fifth grade, the students perform a complete musical comedy and I am blown away by it every year. Many students tell me that these performances are one of their favorite parts of the year. I am thrilled to hear these type of comments because I want to make performing a fun and positive experience for all of my students.

Working with Scripts

2011-03-29T14:09:00.000-07:00

Beginning in First Grade, students are exposed to scripts in drama class and work with them in different ways in each subsequent year. Younger students use Reader's Theater scripts and learn how scripts are written differently from stories or books. Following along and reading the parts out loud at the correct times are the focus for this age group. In Second Grade, students have the opportunity to become playwrights by turning familiar stories into scripts. The students must include all dialogue and stage directions and write their scripts in the proper format. They then get to act out the plays they have written. In Third Grade, we do some really in-depth script work. Using a short play called CSI Mothergooseland, the students have to read the script with a director's eye really focusing on the stage directions and technical elements. They then use the information from the script to design sets, costumes and even write additional scenes that could be in the play. In Fourth and Fifth Grade, the students use all of their previous learned knowledge to direct and perform scenes from plays. They also have opportunities to write their own original scripts for performance. Knowing what to do with a script is an important element of drama. Students leave OWS with a deep understanding of how scripts are written and how to interpret them.

The Art of Pantomime

2011-03-08T14:03:00.000-08:00

Fourth grade students are in the middle of learning how to communicate effectively without using their voices, otherwise known as pantomime acting. The students have been challenged with different games and activities that ask them to communicate character, plot, setting, theme, tone and object without speaking, making any vocal sounds or using any props. They have discovered the importance of facial expressions and body language through these challenges. Every student has improved dramatically in their ability to make the audience understand their non-verbal communication since the first class.

I have found that students who are able to master the art of pantomime acting become better all around actors. They become less reliant on their voices and use their whole bodies when playing different characters. When working with older elementary children this becomes especially important. Students this age are beginning to get stuck in their heads, worrying about what classmates are thinking. This tends to make them less physical in their acting and more reliant on only their voices. Beginning the semester with pantomime takes away the "safety net" of voice, they all know how to communicate that way, and requires them to get creative and look a little silly. This makes all of the acting for the rest of the semester higher quality.

Jumping for Joy!

2011-02-08T11:32:00.000-08:00

In movement class, Kindergarten and First Grade students have been learning all about the importance of aerobic exercise, especially jumping rope, in keeping their hearts healthy. The students began the unit at a variety of different skill levels, from beginner to advanced jump ropers. All of the students are improving their jump roping ability by increasing their jump count, how many jumps in a row, increasing the length of time they can jump without stopping and learning some new jump rope tricks.

OWS is not doing an official Jump Rope for Heart event this year, but we are still doing many of the activities in movement class to make sure the important message of keeping your heart healthy through exercise and healthy eating is communicated to the students. We are also having a lot of fun jumping rope!

What's Happening in Drama Class?

2011-01-26T14:21:00.000-08:00

Lots! We have been very busy since returning from winter break. Students in Kindergarten and First Grade have begun a unit on puppetry. They had the opportunity to explore my puppet collection and learn how different types of puppets are controlled. Now they are busy making several different types of puppets. They began with simple finger puppets then will move on to stick puppets, hand puppets and even marionettes for the First Graders. They will use their final puppets to create puppet shows to perform for each other.

In Second Grade Drama, the students are hard at work writing plays. Each group was given a story to turn in to a play which will be performed for an audience of their peers upon completion. First, we worked together to make outlines of the important plot points from the story and now the students are working in small groups writing the script. Each group has been assigned one section of the story. Once the script is finished we will choose parts and begin rehearsing. The students will also have the opportunity to design and create sets and props for their plays.

In Third Grade we have been busy rehearsing for the Third Grade Performance: Folktales from Around the World. The show is next Thursday, February 3rd and the kids have been learning their lines, blocking, orchestra parts and dances. They have all put in a lot of work and the show is going to be great!

Fifth Grade students had their last drama class yesterday and it was really a celebration! Since winter break the students had the choice of either writing and performing original plays or making their own modern day film versions of Hamlet. Yesterday we watched the films and the plays and they were all incredible!

Fourth Grade will start to have Drama classes next week...so fourth grade parents keep checking here for information about what your kids are up to.

-Lisa Edwards

Snowflake Dash

2010-12-15T11:11:00.000-08:00

Students in Kindergarten and First Grade recently had the chance to participate in the OWS Snowflake Dash during Movement class. The students had the choice of running either 1/2 mile, 15 laps in our gym "track", or 1 mile, 30 laps. I am pleased to announce that all of the students participated and many of them completed the whole mile! They each received a certificate as a reward for this accomplishment.

I hope all of you have fun and active Winter Breaks and I'll see you in the new year!

The Dramatic Elements

2010-12-01T11:10:00.000-08:00

One of the major goals of the drama program is for the students to leave fifth grade with a strong understanding of the dramatic elements of plot, setting, character, dialogue, conflict, design and theme. I begin laying the foundation for this understanding in Kindergarten and First Grade when the students are introduced to the concepts of plot, setting and character through a variety of story drama activities.

We start with the Dr. Seuss classic, The Sneetches and Other Stories, because the stories are very popular with the students and really lend themselves well to learning about plot, setting and characters. The students not only have the opportunity to talk about these concepts, they also get to act out the stories focusing on one of the dramatic elements.

In Second and Third Grade the students expand upon their knowledge of plot, setting and character by learning about the 5 W's, who, what, when, where and why, and how each W is related to a dramatic element. In Second Grade, the students use this knowledge to turn well known stories into scripts which they then perform. In Third Grade we spend at least one class on each of the 5 W's and the students are able to see the connections much more clearly. They create short, original scenes with emphasis on either character, setting, plot, theme or time period. Students in third grade also do a set design project.

All of this foundation allows the fourth and fifth grade students to delve in to the more complicated elements of dialogue, conflict and theme. We spend a great deal of time doing improvisational acting in the upper grades and it is clear that their understanding of the dramatic elements is very helpful when doing improv. The students are also able to analyze scripts using their knowledge of the dramatic elements to create incredible and meaningful performances.

Scene Study in Fifth Grade

2010-11-10T11:03:00.000-08:00

Fifth grade students just finished doing their first scene studies in drama classes. I chose eight different scenes from several plays either written for children or with characters who are children and assigned the students a scene and a part in that scene. The plays ranged from classics like Alice in Wonderland to more modern plays such as Afternoon of the Elves.

Once they knew their plays, groups and parts the students had two weeks to plan and rehearse their scenes for final performances on the third week. I chose characters for the students that were intended to stretch them because they were very different from the students' personalities. All of the groups created or brought in props and set pieces to use for their performances. Several groups came in costume and some even memorized their scripts.

I was incredibly impressed by the final performances! It was very clear to me that the students really enjoyed this challenge and gave it their all. They are a very talented bunch and I can't wait for our next unit...we are going to be tackling Shakespeare!

Great Games in K-1 Movement

2010-10-07T13:32:00.001-07:00

Kindergarten and first grade students are learning a ton of Great Games in Movement class this month! Games are an important part of the physical education curriculum because they help the children learn movement skills, strategies and cooperation.

The games we are playing are especially focused on developing basic locomotor skills such as travelling safely, dodging and fleeing. These games also help to improve general coordination, agility and teamwork.

Ask your child about the great games Clean Your Room, Houdini Hoops, Fours Corners, Trains at the Station and many more!

Welcome Back!

2010-09-14T15:20:00.000-07:00

Welcome back to another exciting year of drama and movement and Open Window School! My name is Lisa Edwards and I am lucky enough to be starting my sixth year at OWS. I teach drama classes to all students in grades K-5 and movement to students in kindergarten and first grade. This is the place to check for curriculum updates, highlights from our different units and any announcements about performances or other related topics.

I will be at Specialists' Night on September 27th to answer all your questions about K-1 movement and if you have any questions about drama class, you can schedule a conference with me during fall conferences, or shoot me an e-mail at lisae@ows.org

I am looking forward to another great year with all of your amazing kids!

Lewis and Clark's Excellent Adventure

2010-05-03T11:37:00.000-07:00

As the school year begins to wind down the schedule for the drama department is really ramping up! We just finished two great productions. The second grade show, Every Day is Earth Day featured fabulous singing and acting and a lot of very valuable information about living in an earth friendly way and the Kindergarten Cultural Parade concluded with a great show featuring songs and dances from several different cultures.

First grade is busy practicing for their show all about the weather and fourth grade has just begun to rehearse for their play, Lewis and Clark's Excellent Adventure. Fourth grade is the first year in which the grade level performance is a full length play. This original play was conceived in 2008 and has been performed by the fourth grade ever since. It provides the students with many varied performance opportunities and is just a really fun show to do.

After Lewis and Clark we will begin working on The American Revolution in fifth grade and continue to rehearse for our spring musical, The Wizard of Oz! It's a busy, creative time here in the OWS drama department!

Puppetry and Performances!

2010-03-17T15:11:00.000-07:00

We are getting in to a very busy time of year for OWS drama! Most of the grade level performances happen in the spring which means much of our drama class time is spent rehearsing. The second grade show, Every Day is Earth Day is taking place on Earth Day, April 22. For the drama portion of the performance, each class is performing a short play with environmentally friendly themes. The first grade performance will take place on May 6th, and the theme is Weather. The fourth grade play, Lewis and Clark's Excellent Adventure, will be on May 27th and the fifth grade will perform The American Revolution on June 11th. These grade level performances provide all of the students with the opportunity to be part of a play from beginning to end and perform in front of an audience.

In other drama news, kindergarten and first grade students have been learning all about puppetry and creating their own puppets! We began by making simple finger and stick puppets and now the kindergartners are making hand puppets and the first graders, marionettes. They will use these puppets to perform original puppet shows for their classmates.

Happy Hoops in the New Year!

2010-01-06T11:12:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year to all! We are starting off the new year with a movement unit called "Happy Hoops." Hoops aren't just for hula hooping anymore. Children can learn about the movement concepts of over, under, around and through with hoops, they can help in developing hand-eye and general coordination by spinning and rolling them and the hoops can also be used as targets to develop more accuracy when throwing or kicking. They are also a lot of fun and provide enjoyable and creative opportunities for healthy movement!

Dramatic Elements

2009-12-14T11:54:00.000-08:00

One of the major themes of drama class throughout the years are the dramatic elements of plot, character and setting. Students in kindergarten and first grade learn what plot is by breaking stories down into the beginning, middle and end and then acting them out. Character and setting are studied in a similar manner, using familiar stories to demonstrate the different concepts.

When the students are in second and third grade we look at how the 5 W's (who, what, when, where and why) are related to the dramatic elements. The students participate in a variety of activities in which they must create and communicate different characters, setting, activities, times and motivations.

In the fourth and fifth grade students put all of this knowledge together when we work on Improv. They need to come up with characters, settings, plots and motivations for actions on the spot in order to be successful at improvisational acting. The student at OWS are so creative, which makes watching their improv scenes great fun!

Having a deep understanding of these dramatic elements not only improves the students acting, but also their understanding of what it takes to create a good story or play.

Third Grade Performance

2009-12-09T15:13:00.000-08:00

Third grade students will perform Folktales From Around the World tomorrow at 1:30pm. Each class has chosen a folktale from a different country; The Thirsty Frog from Australia, The Blind Children and the Elephant from India and The Grateful Statues from Japan. The students have spent the past several weeks learning the music in music class and rehearsing the acting parts in drama class. We brought both pieces together to create three charming plays.

Bean Bag Boogie!

2009-11-19T11:39:00.001-08:00

We have been doing the bean bag boogie in movement class for the past several weeks! The students have practiced balancing bean bags on different parts of their bodies, tossing and catching the bean bags themselves and with partners, throwing the bean bags for distance and accuracy, working with partners to try and carry bean bags while holding them with different body parts and even playing tag games with the bean bags.

These games and activities are helping the students to develop their fine and gross motor skills, hand/eye coordination, agility, balance and creative movement skills. The kids have really enjoyed tyring out different tricks with the bean bags and showing their classmates. Tricks have included throwing the bean bag in the air, clapping several times and then catching the bean bag, throwing the bean bag in the air spinning around and then catching the bean bag and even throwing the bean bag in the air and catching it with a different part of the body!

Peter Pan was a smashing success!

2009-11-19T11:34:00.000-08:00

Last night the OWS Players put on a fantastic production of Peter Pan! The show was well attended and the audience really enjoyed the performance. The kids have worked very hard since September and all of their efforts paid off in a big way. Thanks so much to all of the parent volunteers who helped with refreshments, set up and clean up so we could all celebrate the great work done by the kids.

Look for the OWS Players Anansi and the Moss Covered Rock coming in March and starring students in first and second grade!

OWS Players News!

2009-11-04T15:19:00.000-08:00

The OWS Players' fall production, Peter Pan, is rapidly approaching! Our show is on Wednesday, November 18th at 7:00 pm in the Roper Gym. Come cheer on OWS students in grades 3-8 as they entertain you with this classic tale!

Our winter show, Anansi and the Moss Covered Rock, is just for students in kindergarten through second grade. Rehearsals will begin on Friday, December 4th and the show will be on Thursday, March 11th at 6:00 pm. I look forward to beginning work on this fun and fast paced musical!

Pantomime Acting in Grades 3-5

2009-10-28T10:01:00.000-07:00

Students in grades 3-5 have been studying the art of pantomime acting in drama classes this month. Pantomime is defined as a performance that communicates an idea or action without using dialogue. Actors must use gesture, expression and energy to be successful at pantomime. Pantomime is one of the most difficult facets of the theater, however, by removing dialogue, voice projection and the use of props students can fully concentrate on their developing stage skills and confidence on the stage.

Students in the third grade have had an introduction to pantomime focusing on the basic qualities of good pantomime: consistency, exaggerated resistance, expression and gesture, keeping the storyline simple while still telling a story and being fantastic! We spent a good deal of time working on different ways to communicate character, place, idea or object without speaking.

In the fourth and fifth grade classes we have been practicing more advanced pantomime acting techniques. Students have spent more time working in groups and creating more involved scenes while still attempting to communicate character, setting and plot. Emphasis has been placed on working with imaginary props and making them appear real through consistency and exaggeration.

Third grade students will soon begin practicing for their upcoming performance. Students in fourth grade will continue to develop their pantomime acting chops and fifth grade students will move on to a unit involving the use of masks in the theater.

-Lisa

Second Grade Explores Electricity Through Drama!

2009-10-19T11:56:00.000-07:00

Students in the second grade have been studying electricity in science classes this year. In drama class we have been exploring this concept in a different way!

The students had a chance to create electrical circuits that connected a "button" to a "doorbell" using only their bodies in a game called Ring that Doorbell!

Next, they thought about different inventions that require electricity and used their classmates to build these inventions. We ended up with some amazing human sculptures representing a variety of electrical items, from light bulbs to computers.

Finally, the students had to use their critical thinking skills and powers of persuasion in a game called, Why do we need Electricity? Each student chose a particular electrical item and made their body look like the item. Then I pretended to be the owner of all of the items and I was ready to clean house and throw away all of my old junk! As I approached each electrical item (student) to throw it away, the student would tell me why it was so important that I couldn't throw it away. For example, one student said, "No You can't take me! If you throw me away your floors will be covered in dirt!" I responded, "That's okay, I don't mind a little dirt." The student then said, "But if your floors are covered in dirt no one will want to come and visit you." To which I replied, "Oh, you're right vacuum cleaner. I had better keep you around." The students came up with great reasons for me to keep each of them around and I was able to guess what they all were. This game is a lot of fun, but it also helps kids to understand how reliant we are on electricity in modern life.

One of the ten major goals of the drama program is to show students the connections between drama and the core curriculum. This unit is an example of how that is done.

-Lisa

Drama & Movement Program Information

2009-10-16T11:40:00.000-07:00

I am so sorry I missed Specialist's Night! I was home with a bad cold and I didn't want to spread my germs to all of you. I've posted general information about both the drama and movement programs in the column on the left hand side of the blog. Please check it out and let me know if you have any questions.

Lisa

Peter Pan Rehearsals Are Underway!

2009-09-21T11:44:00.000-07:00

Rehearsals for the first OWS Players production of the year, Peter Pan, began last week. We have a cast and crew of 27 students in grades 3-8 who meet twice a week after school to create every aspect of the performance.

The actors auditioned on Friday, September 11th and we announced the cast on Wednesday the 16th. The actors began working with me on their blocking almost immediately while Ms. Dunlap and the backstage crew began planning the sets, props and costumes and even creating wooden bows and arrows for the lost boys!

The performance of Peter Pan will be on Wednesday, November 18th at 7:00 pm. All are welcome!

Stay tuned for information about The OWS Players upcoming productions for students in all grade levels!

-Lisa

Back in the swing of things...

2009-09-14T11:54:00.000-07:00

It has been such fun to see all of students back at school and ready for another great year! I want to share with you the different units we are starting at each grade level in drama and movement classes.

Kindergarten and first grade students are learning all about dramatic movement in drama class. We are beginning with games and activities that reinforce the concept of body awareness and then moving on to rhythmic and energetic movement games. The goal is for students to be in control of their bodies and be able to use them to express character, emotion and energy to the audience.

Students in the second grade are beginning a unit on perception and expression. The first focus is on observation, concentration and memory. The games and activities are designed to develop a new kind of sensory awareness, one in which the actor's bodies make visible for the audience what is not visible.

Third, fourth and fifth grade students are practicing the art of pantomime acting; acting without speaking or using any props. Students in the third grade are learning the basic skills of pantomime, while the fourth and fifth graders are practicing more advanced techniques. Pantomime is one of the most difficult styles of acting to master, but it provides students with the means to develop confidence and stage skills without worrying about dialogue, projection and the use of hand props.

In movement class we have kicked off a unit called Perceptual Power! This unit helps to establish the class environment and behavioral expectations while teaching motor development concepts such as body and spatial awareness, non-loco motor and loco motor skills, directionality, levels and rates of movement.

As always if you have any questions about the drama or movement program at Open Window School, don't hesitate to contact me at lisae@ows.org.

Enjoy the second week back at school!

Lisa

Welcome back!

2009-09-02T10:55:00.000-07:00

Welcome back to another year at Open Window School! I am so excited to be returning for my fifth year at OWS. This year I will not only be teaching drama to kindergarten through fifth grade students, I will also be teaching movement to kindergarten and first grade students.

As we get ready for the new school year to begin I am busy planning many fun new activities for both drama and movement classes. I am also working with the homeroom teachers to gather material for all of the grade level performances. We have some exciting new shows in the works for this year!

I am also very pleased to announce that the OWS Players will be back this year with not one, but three performances! Our first show will be Peter Pan and rehearsals begin the first week of school. This show is open to interested students in grades 3-8. Rehearsals are Wednesdays and Fridays from 3:30-5:00. Sign ups are available in the main office. In the winter be will be putting on a musical with students in grades K-2 and in the spring we'll be back with a musical for students in grades 3-8. This will be the second year of the OWS Players and we are looking forward to many more quality productions in the future!

Keep checking my blog for updates about drama and movement classes and the OWS Players!

I'm looking forward to seeing everyone soon!

Lisa Edwards