One of the after school programs I run at our local middle school is called Monster Theater. It’s an acting class with a twist. The students not only learn acting skills through traditional drama games and activities, they also help plan our haunted house and practice their chosen roles.
This is the first time I’ve tried a program like this and I’m finding that it’s not for everyone. I’ve had two students drop the class after it started. However, I have also had three students join after the class started because of what they heard from the others. The students who enjoy it get really into it all.
Yesterday, we started off with a few improv games and then we talked about how the kids wanted to see each room/effect decorated. The kids had some great ideas. Of course, the good ideas were sprinkled with some outrageous suggestions that we could never make happen, For example, we’re going to have a scarecrow room and one of the kids wanted to get a real tractor to put in this room that is going to be the size of a small bedroom. Love the idea…not gonna happen.
After we talked about the decor of the rooms/effects each student gave me their top three choices of the roles they wanted to play inside the haunted house. Next week I will assign them one of those roles and we’ll start talking about costumes. I also plan on showing them clips from some movies that are related to their roles.
I may also school them on how to identify and avoid zombies…
Taking a class that you may normally offer and giving it a twist can breathe new life into it for you or your instructor and peak the interest of students who may have overlooked or not been interested in the class before then.
Do you offer a basketball program? How about offering a basketball program that focuses on tricks ala the Globetrotters. Do you offer a dance program? Do you offer an acting program? How about combining the two and add singing. Call it Triple Threat. Students learn acting, dancing and singing all in one class.
