Extant Arts Company's Educational Goals:

SHAKESPEARE SLEUTHS

Hands-On Verse and Rhetoric Workshops for the Classroom

Everything you need to know about Shakespeare can be found in the language . if you know how to look for it. Shakespeare Sleuths, our in-class workshop, engages student "detectives" in the active process of following the textual clues with a theatrical eye, equipping them with the skills to .solve. the text and understand the play on their own. By engaging with the text physically, vocally, and intellectually, students feel the impact of Shakespeare.s craft and find an enjoyment of the text that encourages reading both in and out of the classroom.

Skills covered in the workshops include:

  1. Decoding verse structure (prose, iambic pentameter, and the effects of irregular verse);
  2. Distinguishing between sentences, thoughts, and ideas;
  3. Analyzing .verbal conceits. (rhyme, puns, assonance/alliteration, simile/metaphor, and antithesis);
  4. Recognizing simple/complex language and modes of address;
  5. Understanding basic history of the world of Shakespeare's theatre.

Our Teaching Artists work with classroom teachers to enhance the curriculum already in place. Shakespeare Sleuths is adaptable for students in grades 5 . 12, and generally runs as 1.3 separate workshops.

CLASSICS OF THE FUTURE

A Theatre Arts Enrichment Program

Classics of the Future, our unique Theatre Arts Enrichment Program, engages students with classical dramatic works through an immersive and comprehensive curriculum. Building on the framework of classic plays, students explore the elements of dramatic storytelling in a series of workshops that culminates in the presentation of an original, student-created piece of theatre. Our program emphasizes the collaborative nature of the theatre, and gives students the opportunity to interact with the text through a variety of different artistic roles including designer, director, playwright, and performer.


Classics of the Future is adaptable for students in grades 5 - 12, can occur once or twice a week (either as part of the school day or as after-school programming), and can last anywhere from 4 - 12 weeks. An example of a once-a-week, 10-week residency might look something like this:

THEATRE FOR TEACHERS

A Professional Development workshop for Educators

In the course of bringing Theatre Enrichment programs to various metro-area schools (North Star Academy, Excellence Charter) Extant Arts Company has discovered a common ground between the roles of theatre artists and teachers; drawing from vastly different traditions and trainings, practitioners of both share the goal of successfully communicating ideas and information to engaged audiences in a shared time and space.

We believe that several theatre skills in particular could help direct and enliven classrooms across subjects and disciplines, creating a more dynamic and, we hope, effective educational experience. Please find a brief description below for the proposed workshop, which can either be split into three in-depth 60-minute sessions, or one 90-minute survey session.

This section focuses primarily on the tools an actor uses to interact with an audience: the body and the voice. Working with a few simple concepts and physical activities, teachers harness the ability of their bodies and voices to communicate the information beyond the chalkboard.

This section explores the use of the classroom and the placement of the people within it. Teachers will learn easy and practical approaches to craft a more lively and focused environment and engage their students in surprising new ways.

In this section, teachers will focus on working with students as active collaborators in the learning process. Teachers will explore the dynamics of successful theatrical ensembles: a sense of common purpose, the respectful exchange of ideas, and the inspiring results of joint effort.