Many middle and high school aged students experience heightened levels of stress and anxiety caused by their uncertainties about the world they are growing up in and the pressures of growing up. Concerns about where they fit in, who they want to be, and what the future holds for them in a society that is so politically polarized, often trigger even more heightened emotional response from students of color. Journaling and creative writing have proven to be useful tools for anyone with a need to channel heightened emotions. Monologue writing is an even more direct way to channel and then express these emotions. 

The act of writing a monologue is a creative endeavor, allowing the writer to tell a story with a purpose that extends beyond themselves. The monologue is extended beyond the page once it is performed. Whether or not the writer is the performer, monologue writing allows the opportunity to share personal feelings out to the world; to have a voice in the telling of one’s story. Self identity is informed by history and history is learned through telling-stories. The more confident that young people feel about who they are, the more articulately and productively, they are able to communicate feelings. 

This webinar will provide educators with techniques to help students write monologues that tell stories about themselves or their peers. It will also provide educators with an outlined plan to gradually take students through the process of monologue writing and then sharing their work.

Theatre educators are often asked to take on the management of their performance spaces, sometimes with little or no prior knowledge and few resources. The problem is, that without resources to help gain a more complete understanding of the unique needs of these spaces, they can fall quickly into disrepair, or worst case scenario, become dangerous. Tech Theatre expert Dana Taylor takes us through the basics of managing theatre spaces, offers tips and advice, and points the way to advocacy for your program needs.    

In the realm of arts education, it is crucial to question the existing norms and explore new approaches that foster liberation, empowerment, and inclusivity. This dynamic webinar invites educators, practitioners, and advocates to critically examine the traditional model of arts education and discover strategies for integrating a more liberatory framework into their work.

Join theatre educator Tina Barone in an exploration of a unit on pantomime for upper elementary students that focuses on celebrating each student’s individual identity in order to create a collective identity as a theatre community.  As she shares the unit, Tina will provide  examples of student work and the amazing impact that celebrating identity had on her students, including better student engagement and a sense of belonging. Take away strategies and tips to use or modify this lesson plan in your own classrooms.

This Thespy Adjudication Course has been designed for training adjudicators who will be viewing and scoring student work as a part of the EdTA Thespy program. 

The course provides an overview of scoring student work using a rubric, then demonstrates how to use these skills with the rubrics for Thespy events.  The learner should download and save or print the exemplar rubrics found in the "Handouts" tab of this course to use while moving through the course modules.  Upon completion of the training, the user may print a certificate as proof of training which may be presented if required for either Thespy adjudication at the International Thespian Festival or for Thespy adjudication at a Chapter qualifying event.  

NOTE:  Online adjudicator training should be combined with an in-person practice session to allow the adjudicators to deeply understand how to apply the rubric and come to a common agreement on the meaning of each descriptor.  This process is called "norming". 

This Thespy Adjudication Course has been designed for training adjudicators who will be viewing and scoring student work as a part of the EdTA Thespy program.   You not need to be a member of EdTA to take the training, but you must click on the "Register" button.  When you click on the "Register" button you will be asked to log in by creating a free account.  EdTA members should simply use their EdTA login.  

The course provides an overview of scoring student work using a rubric, then demonstrates how to use these skills with the rubrics for Thespy events.  The learner should download and save or print the exemplar rubrics found in the "Handouts" tab of this course to use while moving through the course modules.  Upon completion of the training, the user may print a certificate as proof of training which may be presented if required for either Thespy adjudication at the International Thespian Festival or for Thespy adjudication at a Chapter qualifying event.  

NOTE:  Online adjudicator training should be combined with an in-person practice session to allow the adjudicators to deeply understand how to apply the rubric and come to a common agreement on the meaning of each descriptor.  This process is called "norming". 

Starting an Elementary Theatre Program; five tips for making the switch from panic to play. 

Learn how to start or improve your elementary theatre program with theatre educator Jennifer Ridgway.

This detailed webinar breaks down the art of teaching drama in the elementary grades into easy to use sequential steps that offer practical tips you can start using right away.  Use theatre vocabulary and various dramatic strategies to create a safe, low risk, learning environment for students and teachers.

Welcome to the Production Adjudication Training, originally published in 2021, updated July of 2023. It is required that all adjudicators go through regular training, whether you are a veteran adjudicator who has not gone through the training in the past 5 years or someone new to the process. Thank you for investing your time to be part of this important service we provide our member schools and students. 

In the first half of this course you will watch five training videos. After each of the first four there is a short quiz or discussion prompt.  You must complete each section to move on to the next portion of the training.  When you finish the 5th Video section of the training you will be asked to download an adjudication form and then view and score the first 40 minutes of a production of "She Stoops to Conquer".  You will submit your completed form to The Learning Center, using the upload function in the last section of the course. (If you cannot open a Microsoft Word document, download the .pdf version of this form from the handout tab).

To be an adjudicator, you need to have a strong knowledge of all the aspects involved with putting on a quality show. Adjudicators are expected to be knowledgeable about directing, acting and the technical aspects of a production. Being an adjudicator is an important and time-consuming job. You need to be able to commit the time to view a show, and the hours involved afterwards when you will be completing the adjudication form. 

We thank you for your interest in being a show adjudicator. EdTA could not offer this valuable service without you.  If you have any questions, please email events@schooltheatre.org

Production Adjudication Committee and EdTA Events Team

Learn about what works and what doesn't work from a student perspective when dealing with student mental health.  Three students in the EdTA leadership program share their experiences in an honest conversation about mental health from their perspectives. 

Join Equity Stage Manager and Theatre Educator Cheryl J. Williams as she shares the results of a pilot in rural America introducing culturally responsive teaching in tech theatre through a deep dive into the 1978 Sidney Lumet film "The Wiz".

When we as teachers think about culture and diversity, we often automatically think about our black students. However, a lot of teachers, whose students are all white struggle with how culturally relevant teaching strategies apply to them. This webinar is a resource you can use to bring culturally responsive teaching into your classroom, curriculum and productions. Now is the time to broaden our perspectives beyond one's own world, and this informative webinar will show you how it is done.