I just came ultimately back from an end-of-semester drama presentation at a local elementary school. If you run a drama program, you're familiar with this opportunity for folks to come and see what their kids have been working on.
Parents are excited to see their kids, children are excited to have their parents see them, and the drama teacher is nervous making certain things run smoothly and everyone walks away happy and appreciative.imlie Today Episode
Having led hundreds of these myself, I began considering what I'm are some helpful tips that may make your drama presentation as successful that you can:
1. Be Organized
This might sound like good sense, but it's so important so it needs mentioning. Parents don't want to see a fumbling teacher, and kids are certain to get antsy if they don't have specific direction. Be sure you have thought through and written out the exact order of events, and just how much time you expect each event to take. Within each event make certain you've written who is going to be participating, the order of participation, etc. If you're playing drama games, plan ahead of time who you'll call up for every single one, and let them know in advance. If you're feeling more adventurous, put every student's name in a cap, and reveal to the audience that you will be choosing students' at random from the hat for different games until all the names are called.imlie Today Episode
2. Keep it short
Keep your welcome greeting under a minute. Cover how excited you are to generally share what you've been focusing on, the target that the class has been working toward, what they're about to see, and a brief personal tidbit in regards to the program. Let the activities, games and scenes speak for themselves as much as possible. Keep the game descriptions to a sentence or two, or even better when you have older kids question them to introduce each game (let them know ahead of time to allow them to practice).
3. Keep it positive.
Don't ever apologize for things not being as polished as they could be because of not enough time or resources. Instead mention how impressed you are in what the kids accomplished in such little time. Knowing a certain activity or scene will probably be described as a little rough, introduce it just as you'd any other. Then jump in and give the kids support as they need it.
4. Make certain the kids know what things to expect.
I suggest having the full dry run-through of the "sharing day" each one session in advance, or ahead of the parents arrive. The youngsters ought to know the order of events and when it's their turn to participate. Consider printing a few copies of the "itinerary" and posting them stage right and left where in actuality the actors can see them however the audience can't.
5. Have clean transitions.
The moments following a high-energy activity are the most crucial moments to steadfastly keep up control of the environment. Simply telling your children as their laughing and talking "please go back to your seats" does NOT cut it. Instantly regain their focus, then provide them with specific timed instructions. "Everyone take a breathe in, breathe out, silently head back again to your seats in 3 counts. 3... 2... 1. I'd now prefer to introduce... "
6. Harness the silly/Harness the talking
Along exactly the same lines, make certain the kids know it's not OK to talk during a casino game or activity unless specifically instructed to complete so. When parents are in the audience it's natural for children to want to be little hams, cracking jokes with friends, going for quick laughs. It's the greatest challenge of the drama teacher to target this energy into creative character/acting choices. There's more leniency because of this when the kids are very young (K-2nd grade). However as students grow during your program their acting should noticeably mature. These sharing presentation are a good way to demonstrate that to the parents.
7. Make certain every kid has something special to do.
If you should be doing scenes, and kids have individual lines, the first thing a parent can do after hearing a few kids speak is anxiously wait for his/her kid to speak. It's completely acceptable to provide the older, more advanced kids bigger roles in the presentation, but make certain every child has at least one moment to be in the spotlight.
8. Finish with a bang.
End the presentation with a casino game, activity or song that you understand can have everyone leaving with a giant smile on the face. Although perhaps you are in a informal environment, choreograph a clear simple bow by the ensemble at the end.
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