Theatre in the Real World: Theatre Company Profile

The following project is a research assignment, where students will research and present a written profile of an existing theatre company. To complete the project, they will need to make a number of choices:

• Which theatre company to research (the caveat is that there can be no duplicates within the class),
• Whether they will complete the project as an individual or with one partner, and
• How they will present the profile: as a written paper, a PowerPoint presentation, or a physical display board.

This project can be purely researched and written, or you can also have students present their research to the rest of the class to give them the opportunity to practice their oral presentation skills. Alternatively, you may wish for students to complete the project using physical display boards, and present them at an upcoming school event (similar to a science or history fair).

Instructions

1. Each student/pair will select a theatre company to research. Remember, there can be no duplicates! You may have students do a quick search and select their own theatre company, or prepare a list of companies for students to choose from. Here are some theatre companies from Canada to get you started:

• Stratford Festival, Shaw Festival, Catalyst Theatre, Theatre Passe Muraille, Buddies in Bad Times Theatre, Lighthouse Festival, Port Stanley Festival Theatre, Arts Club Theatre Company, Neptune Theatre

2. Students must include the following information in their projects:

• Location of the company (if it’s located within your city/state/province, include directions on how to get there)
• Date of establishment
• Name(s) of founder(s)
• A brief summary of the history of the theatre
• Mandate / mission statement
• What type of theatre company it is (commercial / professional, community, not-for-profit, dinner theatre, educational theatre, etc.)
• What shows were presented in their first season
• What shows are playing currently or are upcoming (include dates)
• Notable productions
• Notable alumni
• Awards / distinctions received
• Any special programming, especially aimed towards high school students
• Social media presence (include links)
• What makes this company unique
• A minimum of three photos, with proper photo credits
• A works cited / references list (minimum of three sources; Wikipedia doesn’t count!)

3. Information must be presented in full sentences, with attention paid to spelling and grammar. For ease of reading, students should organize their information under appropriate headings.

4. If you wish, you may also have students include an oral presentation with their written work: either a lecture or presentation of their display board/PowerPoint. Oral presentations should be no longer than five minutes.

5. Students will also complete a reflection, responding to the following:

• Individual: What are the pros and cons of working on a project as an individual versus working with a partner?
• Partner: Describe your contribution to the research assignment. How were you an effective partner?