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This journal was created as an accompaniment to Steven Stack's DTA course: Playwriting Outside the Lines. It can also be used as a stand alone resource, as a writing tool and a path for creation. The journal is divided into 5 sections: Creative Sandbox, Play/Scene Development, Random Thoughts and Lines, Home of the Rough Drafts, and Notes from Others.

A set of 5 posters to inspire in the drama classroom. Part of the Playwriting Outside the Lines PD course in the DTA.

This classroom movie study guide looks specifically at the 2007 movie version of the musical Hairspray. The film is based on the 2002 Broadway musical of the same name, which in turn was based on John Waters’ 1988 comedy film of the same name. The study guide provides the following: pre-viewing questions, viewing questions, and post-viewing activities.

The study guide provides the following: pre-viewing questions, viewing questions, and post-viewing activities.

The study guide provides the following: pre-viewing questions, viewing questions, and post-viewing activities.

The study guide provides the following: pre-viewing questions, viewing questions, and post-viewing activities.

This classroom movie study guide looks specifically at the 2013 filmed version of the live musical Shrek. The musical is based on the 2001 movie of the same name. The study guide provides the following: pre-viewing questions, viewing questions, and post-viewing activities.

The study guide provides the following: pre-viewing questions, viewing questions, and post-viewing activities.

Inspirational quotes for a new school year, all quotes credited to Steven Stack, from a variety of DTA professional development courses. Printable calendar to customize for any school year.

Based on the quotes from the 2024-2025 DTA School Year Calendar, a set of 12 posters with quotes by Steven Stack, from a range of the PD courses he instructs in the Drama Teacher Academy.

Gai Jones, long time theatre educator, a member of many educational theatre associations, and an advocate of theatre competitions with sound educational theatre values, has developed this resource. Competitions are opportunities for students to succeed. Competitions encourage students to work toward a standard and goals. Evaluation can take the form of both formative and summative assessments. Competitions provide learning beyond the classroom as students are exposed to many types of performances and take part in receiving evaluations. This resource was created to help drama teachers consider these goals when taking students to competition (or not): • Celebrating growth and student success. • Learning how to evaluate judges’ comments. • Helping students develop strategies for competition stress. • Providing learning experiences beyond the classroom.

In this project, students will be introduced to the steps of a concept-based design process and apply it to simple stories. This process gives students a new framework to approach creative challenges in the design process. Students will present design portfolios utilizing the elements of MELT. (Mood, Era, Location, Theme) with the use of the “What If” game. These elements are the building blocks of both the exploration and execution of their designs. By employing MELT and What If, students will generate the details and circumstances of the concept-based designs they will present.

By applying the elements of MELT, students will re-envision a classic story, myth, or fairy tale. Students will then share the newly envisioned story with their peers.

By identifying required elements (as dictated by the content of their assigned stories), students will compile a list of materials that are the essential components of their designs. From there, they can alter and expand their designs based on the conceptual interpretation of their stories.

Students will generate a simple conceptual statement for their stories. Working from their list of “must haves,” students will brainstorm various ways of achieving the requirements of their stories based on this concept statement, using newly imagined objects, items, or materials aligned to their stated concept. By asking “What if,” students will begin to reimagine the design of the world of their stories in unexpected ways. This will provide them with a much more complex approach to their designs.

Students will reconstruct the world of their stories based on the information they visualized in the “What If” game. Using that information, students will complete the Group MELT Exercise worksheet, research images/materials that best represent the new story world they have designed, and create a design presentation for their new story concept.

Students will present their completed design collages, including scenic, costume, and lighting designs for their assigned stories; give a presentation of the reimagined design elements of their stories based on the concept and imagery created throughout this project; and give an oral presentation that describes their concepts and the process they used to create their concepts. Students will take questions from both their teacher and their peers in order to clarify their concepts.

Students will analyze and rehearse a monologue based on their research and answers of various SEL monologue worksheets. By approaching their monologues through the lens of social-emotional learning, students will connect to their scripted material in a more authentic way. In addition, through the process of applying SEL concepts to their monologue performances, students will observe how the components of SEL can be applied to their own real-world situations.

Students will build a deep self-awareness of their characters by answering a series of questions about aspects of their characters’ psychological profile.

In Part 2 of the Monologue Project, students will examine various methods of self-management with managing emotions and behaviours. Students will analyze their characters by identifying the emotional arc of their monologues, map the emotional changes that occur over the course of the work, and predict potential emotional changes that may occur.