div class=is-section is-boxed-layout is-box is-section-30 is-dark-text style=background-color rgb(197, 225, 165); div class=is-boxes div class=is-overlay div class=is-overlay-bg is-parallax style=background-image none; display none;div div class=is-overlay-color style=display none; opacity 0;div div class=is-overlay-contentdiv div div class=is-box-centered edge-y--3 div class=is-container is-content-1100 container id=contentarea1PAEv div class=sse-row sse-clearfix div class=sse-column sse-fullpbrpdiv div div class=sse-row sse-clearfix div class=sse-column sse-full h1 class=sse-size-64 sse-is-title1-64 sse-is-title-boldHow Theater Teachers (You!) Can Effect Changeh1 div div div class=sse-row sse-clearfix div class=sse-column sse-fulla href=httpswww.yourstagepartners.comproductsshakespeare-clearly-a-midsummer-nights-dream title=A Midsummer Night's Dream adapted by Jon Joryimg src=httpsblogstudio.s3.amazonaws.comstage-partnersb89ce0b04fd9e1185cde060b0f58e9a0.png alt=A Midsummer Night's Dream adapted by Jon Joryadiv div div class=sse-row sse-clearfix div class=sse-column sse-full pspan style=font-size 18px;Stage Partners Education Director, !-- Font Definitions @font-face {font-familyCambria Math; panose-12 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset0; mso-generic-font-familyroman; mso-font-pitchvariable; mso-font-signature-536870145 1107305727 0 0 415 0;} @font-face {font-familyヒラギノ角ゴ Pro W3; panose-12 11 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-altYu Gothic; mso-font-charset128; mso-generic-font-familyswiss; mso-font-pitchvariable; mso-font-signature-536870145 2059927551 18 0 131085 0;} @font-face {font-family@ヒラギノ角ゴ Pro W3; mso-font-charset128; mso-generic-font-familyswiss; mso-font-pitchvariable; mso-font-signature-536870145 2059927551 18 0 131085 0;} Style Definitions p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhideno; mso-style-qformatyes; mso-style-parent; margin0in; margin-bottom.0001pt; mso-paginationwidow-orphan; font-size12.0pt; font-familyTimes New Roman,serif; mso-fareast-font-familyTimes New Roman;} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-typeexport-only; mso-default-propsyes; font-size10.0pt; mso-ansi-font-size10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size10.0pt;} @page WordSection1 {size8.5in 11.0in; margin1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in; mso-header-margin.5in; mso-footer-margin.5in; mso-paper-source0;} div.WordSection1 {pageWordSection1;} --Maria McConville, explores how fellow theater teachers can inspire self-awareness and acceptance of others. spanspan style=font-weight 300; font-size 18px;spanp div div div class=row clearfix div class=column full div class=display h1 style=margin0.2em 0 strongThere never seems enough time in the day...strong h1 div div div div class=sse-row sse-clearfix div class=sse-column sse-full div class=edit p class=Bodyspan style=font-size 1.07em; font-weight 300;We all have our personal reasons for why we teach theatre. There are singular moments in each of our lives that drew us into the art. Then there are the lessons learned (perhaps the hard way!) that we knew we had to pass on to others. And you’re here, reading this, because you have the great fortune of doing just that.spanbrp div class=edit p class=Body style=font-size 18px;I’m asking you now to take this opportunity as an arts educator to draw your students in and use this ancient art to biinstill empathyib, to biencourage listeningib and to arm these young people with tactics to biresolve conflicts peacefullyib.p div div div div div class=sse-row sse-clearfix div class=sse-column sse-halfa href=httpswww.yourstagepartners.comproductsshakespeare-clearly-macbeth title=Macbeth adapted by Jon Joryimg class=sse-full-width src=httpsblogstudio.s3.amazonaws.comstage-partners5ca3d6c486d1a177a0916e4400976523.png alt=Macbeth adapted by Jon Joryadiv div class=sse-column sse-half div class=edit style=font-size 14px; p class=Bodyspan style=font-size 18px;I know. Easier said than done.spanp p class=Bodyspan style=font-size 18px;How do we offer guidance when there is no time in a school dayspanp p class=Bodyspan style=font-size 18px;Here are a few ideas for ways to make room for these little changes in your classroom.spanp div div div div class=sse-row sse-clearfix div class=sse-column sse-full h1 class=sse-size-48 sse-is-title1-48 sse-is-title-bold style=font-size 36px;1. Read the Greeksh1 div div div class=sse-row sse-clearfix div class=sse-column sse-half div class=edit p class=Body style=font-size 18px;This may seem like an arduous task. But those ancient Greek plays you read in high school and college were assigned for a reason. They taught you how to think, how to debate, how to wrestle with democracy. Most importantly, those plays made you consider morality.p div div div class=sse-column sse-halfimg class=sse-full-width src=httpsblogstudio.s3.amazonaws.comstage-partnersc1ad2216ce658e721c954b6c09f02f43.pngdiv div div class=sse-row sse-clearfix div class=sse-column sse-full p style=font-size 18px;The Greeks help us to understand that our actions have consequence, good or bad. span style=color rgb(17, 17, 17); font-size 18px; font-weight 300;These plays are worth examining with our young people.spanp div div div class=sse-row sse-clearfix div class=sse-column sse-full h1 class=sse-size-48 sse-is-title1-48 sse-is-title-bold style=font-size 36px;2. Student Written Monologuesh1 div div div class=sse-row sse-clearfix div class=sse-column sse-halfimg class=sse-full-width src=httpsblogstudio.s3.amazonaws.comstage-partners326ff4a046f0e21ead69e8ec5d4dd07b.pngdiv div class=sse-column sse-half pspan style=font-size 18px;span style=color rgb(17, 17, 17); font-weight 300;Not another writing assignment! I know.spanbrspanp div class=edit p class=Bodyspan style=font-size 18px;What if the students had to write a monologue as the teacher they got along with least span style=color rgb(17, 17, 17); font-weight 300;What if you assigned writing a monologue from the perspective of a student with whom they had never spokenspanspanp div div div div class=sse-row sse-clearfix div class=sse-column sse-full pspan style=color rgb(17, 17, 17); font-size 1.07em; font-weight 300;Perhaps a monologue in the voice of their parentspanbrp div class=editp class=BodyPutting yourself in someone else’s shoes is the way we can experience empathy. Theatre is important in schools because it demands that we look at the world through someone else’s eyes, that we understand why a person chooses to do the things they do.pdiv div div div class=sse-row sse-clearfix div class=sse-column sse-full h1 class=sse-size-48 sse-is-title1-48 sse-is-title-bold style=font-size 36px;3. Conflict Resolution Improvh1 div div div class=sse-row sse-clearfix div class=sse-column sse-half pspan style=color rgb(17, 17, 17); font-size 1.07em; font-weight 300;Time to dust off those “Yes, And” or “As if” exercises.spanbrp div class=edit p class=BodyInvite students to work out those tough conversations through improv. Within the safe environment you are providing, students are practicing being a patient ear, what it is like to feel heard and understood, and what it is like to make space for an idea that they do not necessarily agree with.p div. div div class=sse-column sse-halfimg class=sse-full-width src=httpsblogstudio.s3.amazonaws.comstage-partnerse0d128c72496f0e5d94e781cc6c0f69b.pngdiv div div class=sse-row sse-clearfix div class=sse-column sse-full h1 class=sse-size-48 sse-is-title1-48 sse-is-title-boldDo these ideas make huge, sweeping, immediate impact ...No. But...h1 div div div class=sse-row sse-clearfix div class=sse-column sse-full div class=edit p dir=ltrspan style=font-size 1.07em; font-weight 300;spanp div class=edit p class=Bodyspan style=color rgb(17, 17, 17); font-size 1.07em; font-weight 300;...these activities rewire the brain. They invite the participant to see the world around them as more open, as having more possibilities than what they may have thought.spanp p class=Bodyspan style=color rgb(17, 17, 17); font-size 1.07em; font-weight 300;What you do is so unbelievably important. Thank you for doing it.spanp p class=Bodyspan style=color rgb(17, 17, 17); font-size 1.07em; font-weight 300;Thank you for being there for these kids day in and day out.spanp p class=Bodyspan style=color rgb(17, 17, 17); font-size 1.07em; font-weight 300;Thank you for providing as safe a place as possible for students to feel accepted and for them to make mistakes.spanp p class=Bodyspan style=color rgb(17, 17, 17); font-size 1.07em; font-weight 300;Thank you for providing the applause.spanbrp p class=Bodyspan style=font-size 1.07em; font-weight 300;spanp div div div div div class=sse-row sse-clearfix div class=sse-column sse-full hr div div div class=sse-row sse-clearfix div class=sse-column sse-half pspan style=font-size 20px;spanspan style=font-size 22px;bMaria McConvillebspan has been a NYC Public School teaching artist since 2005. In the past she has worked with the Theatre Development Fund, LeAP! Onstage, and Periwinkle Theater for Youth, and as a Shakespeare and Playwriting teaching artist with Theatre For A New Audience.  Her students have performed and adapted the work of Shakespeare, written their own plays, devised ensemble performance pieces, sang and danced in musical productions, and performed their peers work on a Broadway stage. Growing up in New York, Maria attended LaGuardia High School of Performing Arts for Drama, and recently adjudicated the auditions for incoming students. Maria is also a playwright; her published plays include #Censored and #Viral (Stage Partners) and To Date or Not to Date (Playscripts).p div class=editbrdiv span style=font-size 1.07em; font-weight 300;span div div class=sse-column sse-halfa href=httpswww.yourstagepartners.comcollectionsjon-jory title=Jon Jory, playwright Stage Partnersimg class=sse-full-width src=httpsblogstudio.s3.amazonaws.comstage-partners87b68225cf0e9df886f35ef46608999e.png alt=Jon Jory, playwright Stage Partnersadiv div div div div div