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Theatre Education, Pedagogy, and Training

In this section, content focuses on best practices and challenges regarding education and scholarship in the theatre. Check out the Latinx Theatre Commons’ series Pedagogy Notebook, where artists, educators, and scholars share their process and work in the classroom, and David Dudley’s long-running guide to theatre education.

The Latest

Visions about Higher Education in the Performing Arts:
Essay
Visions about Higher Education in the Performing Arts:
A Multi-Perspective from Eastern-Central Europe
by Panna Adorjáni
6 December 2021
Suzan-Lori Parks' Watch Me Work
Video
Suzan-Lori Parks' Watch Me Work
A Playwriting Masterclass
Monday 29 November 2021
United States
SEGAL TALKS: Bonnie Marranca
Video
SEGAL TALKS: Bonnie Marranca
A Conversation About Timelines
Monday 22 November 2021
United States
Four actors stand under a spotlight facing a seated audience.
Visions about Higher Education in the Performing Arts:
Essay

Visions about Higher Education in the Performing Arts:

A Multi-Perspective from Eastern-Central Europe

6 December 2021

Freelance theatre, text, and sound maker Panna Adorjáni shares her perspective on what it means to have a good university theatre program in Eastern-Central Europe through conversations with other graduates from that region.

Suzan-Lori Parks' Watch Me Work event poster.
Suzan-Lori Parks' Watch Me Work
yellow block with orange text PUBLIC
Public Theater
Video

Suzan-Lori Parks' Watch Me Work

A Playwriting Masterclass

Monday 29 November 2021
United States

The Public Theater in New York City presented Suzan-Lori Parks' Watch Me Work — a playwrighting masterclass — livestreaming on the global, commons-based, peer produced HowlRound TV network on Monday 29 November 2021 at 12 p.m. HST (Honolulu, UTC -10) / 1 p.m. AKST (Juneau, UTC -9) / 2 p.m. PST (San Francisco, UTC -8) / 4 p.m. CST (Chicago, UTC -6) / 5 p.m. EST (New York, UTC -5) / 22:00 GMT (London, UTC +0) / 23:00 CET (Berlin, UTC +1).

a section of the cover of the book timelines: writings and conversations.
SEGAL TALKS: Bonnie Marranca
Segal_Centre_Logo
Segal
Center
Video

SEGAL TALKS: Bonnie Marranca

A Conversation About Timelines

Monday 22 November 2021
United States

The Martin E. Segal Theatre Center presented SEGAL TALKS, a conversation about curating, producing, and presenting theatre and performance in the time of COVID with Bonnie Marranca, livestreaming on the global, commons-based, peer produced HowlRound TV network on Monday 22 November 2021 at 9 a.m. PST (San Francisco, UTC -8) / 11 a.m. CST (Chicago, UTC -6) / 12 p.m. EST (New York, UTC -5) / 17:00 GMT (London, UTC +0) / 18:00 CET (Berlin, UTC +1).

Image of people sitting outdoors at a park during a performance.
Narratives of Activity in Traveller Drama Literature
Essay

Narratives of Activity in Traveller Drama Literature

Examining the plays It’s a Cultural Thing by Michael Collins and The Hardest Word and Today’s Lesson by Richard R. O’Neill

18 November 2021

Rodrigó Balogh, artistic director of the Independent Theater Hungary, shares his work and experiences creating a workshop series for Roma youth focused on several plays from the Roma Heroes International Theater Festival.

Suzan-Lori Parks' Watch Me Work event poster.
Suzan-Lori Parks' Watch Me Work
yellow block with orange text PUBLIC
Public Theater
Video

Suzan-Lori Parks' Watch Me Work

A playwriting masterclass

Monday 15 November 2021
New York City, virtual

The Public Theater in New York City presented Suzan-Lori Parks' Watch Me Work — a playwrighting masterclass — livestreaming on the global, commons-based, peer produced HowlRound TV network on Monday 15 November 2021 at 12 p.m. HST (Honolulu, UTC -10) / 1 p.m. AKST (Juneau, UTC -9) / 2 p.m. PST (San Francisco, UTC -8) / 4 p.m. CST (Chicago, UTC -6) / 5 p.m. EST (New York, UTC -5) / 22:00 GMT (London, UTC +0) / 23:00 CET (Berlin, UTC +1).

blue graphic of actor onstage against yellow background
(Re)Imagine Educational Theater Pt 2: Arts Educators
Seattle Rep
Video

(Re)Imagine Educational Theater Pt 2: Arts Educators

A Series That Brings Artists and Community Leaders Together

Thursday 4 November 2021
United States

Seattle Rep Presents (Re)Imagine Educational Theater Pt 2: Arts Educators livestreamed on the global, commons-based, peer-produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Thursday 4 November 2021 at 5 p.m. PDT (Seattle, UTC -7) / 6 p.m. MDT (Denver, UTC -6) / 7 p.m. CDT (Chicago, UTC -5) / 8 p.m. EDT (New York, UTC -4).

event poster for academia through a black woman's lens.
Academia Through a Black Woman's Lens
red background with white text red pill.
Red Pill
Video

Academia Through a Black Woman's Lens

How can we help ensure the safety of Black women in Academia?

Thursday 28 October 2021
United States

Tonya Pinkins presented Through A Black Woman’s Lens—Academia livestreaming on the global, commons-based, peer-produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Thursday 28 October 2021 at 2 p.m. PDT (San Francisco, UTC -7) / 4 p.m. CDT (Chicago, UTC -5) / 5 p.m. EDT (New York, UTC -4).

A woman cutting a girl's hair.
Exit Descartes: Reimagining Theatre Training Through an Embodied Lens
Essay

Exit Descartes: Reimagining Theatre Training Through an Embodied Lens

18 October 2021

Eve Bernfeld discusses creating a culture of care in her Alexander Technique classes by paying attention to embodiment. She asks: What if we heal the false rift between mind and body in our theatre making and training?

blue graphic of actor onstage against yellow background
(Re)Imagine Educational Theater Pt 1: Youth
Seattle Rep
Video

(Re)Imagine Educational Theater Pt 1: Youth

A Series That Brings Artists and Community Leaders Together

Thursday 14 October 2021
United States

Seattle Rep presented (Re)Imagine Educational Theater Pt 1: Youth livestreaming on the global, commons-based, peer-produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Thursday 14 October 2021 at 5 p.m. PDT (Seattle, UTC -7) / 6 p.m. MDT (Denver, UTC -6) / 7 p.m. CDT (Chicago, UTC -5) / 8 p.m. EDT (New York, UTC -4).

Three actors sitting on white cubes onstage.
Gender Casting: Theatre Educators in the United States Need to Pay Attention to Title IX Developments
Essay

Gender Casting: Theatre Educators in the United States Need to Pay Attention to Title IX Developments

14 October 2021

Kim Messer writes about the potential impact that anti-trans laws aimed at school athletics could have a broader impact on theatre students. To prepare themselves to advocate for students, theatre educators must deepen their own understanding of these policies.

Photo of seven people holding each other posing for a photo in a line.
Not a Pipeline Problem, a Problem with the Pipeline
Essay

Not a Pipeline Problem, a Problem with the Pipeline

1 September 2021

Designers Calvin Anderson, Sherrice Mojgani, and Amber Whatley share their individual perspectives on how design education in the United States is lacking and what they are doing to fill in the gaps.

Several actors wearing vintage work clothing and standing in stage boats in pairs or groups of three.
How to Create an Actively Inclusive Theatre Course
Essay

How to Create an Actively Inclusive Theatre Course

16 August 2021

David Valdes shares eleven steps educators can take to ensure their course offerings are more actively inclusive.

Unrehearsed Futures
Embodied Poetics logo
Embodied Poetics
Drama School Mumbai logo
Drama School Mumbai
Centre for Theatre, Dance and Performance Studies, Cape Town, logo
CTDPS, Cape Town
Video

Unrehearsed Futures

Episode 16: Neutrality in Actor Training: Help or Hindrance

Thursday 22 July 2021
South Africa

Presenting Unrehearsed Futures Episode #16: Neutrality in Actor Training: Help or Hindrance livestreamed on the global, commons-based peer produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Thursday 22 July 2021 at 4 a.m. EDT (New York, UTC -4) / 9 a.m. BST (London, UTC +1) / 10 a.m. SAST (Cape Town, UTC +2).

Ashley Malafronte in a black shirt and kakis painting on a stone wall.
Internships are Dead. Long Live Internships.
Essay

Internships are Dead. Long Live Internships.

22 July 2021

Ashley Malafronte and Michael DeWhatley ask: How can future-minded theatres revolutionize their internship programs to create a more diverse, reciprocal, and mutually beneficial set of initiatives?

A woman holding a syringe and examining it.
Transcending Theatre: My Time with Robbie McCauley
Essay

Transcending Theatre: My Time with Robbie McCauley

20 July 2021

Tara Brooke Watkins reflects on the legacy of Robbie McCauley, who challenged the status quo of theatre systems, from the classroom to the rehearsal room to productions.

Several half-naked actors with lacrosse sticks. One actor is front and center, wearing a red hat and white underwear, with his hands behind his head. The actresses on his sides are using lacrosse sticks to cover their chests.
The Island of Lost Chorus Boys: Professional Theatre’s Broken Promise to Accept Us in All Our Glorious Queerness
Essay

The Island of Lost Chorus Boys: Professional Theatre’s Broken Promise to Accept Us in All Our Glorious Queerness

8 July 2021

Kieron Cindric talks about how the theatre industry—and, in particular, musical theatre—has continually reinforced a narrow and harmful version of masculinity.

event poster for this episode of the stories women carry.
Arts Education and the Focus on Africa for the Future
Tebere Arts Foundation
NBO musical theatre initiative logo.
Nairobi Musical Theatre Initiative
Video

Arts Education and the Focus on Africa for the Future

The Stories Women Carry: Creative Practice of African Women from the Continent

Monday 24 May 2021
Kenya

Tebere Arts Foundation presented the conversation Arts Education and the Focus on Africa for the Future with The Stories Women Carry: Creative Practice of African Women from the Continent livestreaming on the global, commons-based, peer-produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Monday 24 May 2021 at 10 a.m. PDT (San Francisco, UTC -7) / 1 p.m. EDT (New York, UTC -4) / 8 p.m. EAT (Nairobi, UTC +3).

yellow border around black text mentorship programs.
Mentorship Programs
Producer Hub
Video

Mentorship Programs

Join Producer Hub and X organizations as they give us insight into their mentorship programs

Thursday 20 May 2021
United States

Producer Hub presented the conversation Mentorship Programs with their series Producing Ethically in 2021 livestreaming on the global, commons-based, peer-produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Thursday 20 May 2021 at 5 p.m. PDT (San Francisco, UTC -7) / 7 p.m. CDT (Chicago, UTC -5) / 8 p.m. EDT (New York, UTC -4).

event poster with artist headshot and text event details.
African Diaspora: Shaping the Future of African American Performance
Tebere Arts Foundation
NBO musical theatre initiative logo.
Nairobi Musical Theatre Initiative
Video

African Diaspora: Shaping the Future of African American Performance

The Stories Women Carry: Creative Practice of African Women from the Continent

Monday 17 May 2021
Kenya

Tebere Arts Foundation presented the conversation African Diaspora: Shaping the Future of African American Performance with The Stories Women Carry: Creative Practice of African Women from the Continent livestreaming on the global, commons-based, peer-produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Monday 17 May 2021 at 10 a.m. PDT (San Francisco, UTC -7) / 1 p.m. EDT (New York, UTC -4) / 8 p.m. EAT (Nairobi, UTC +3).

Two actors lifting another one from the top of a pile of hay.
Dismantle the Hierarchy: Best Practices for Creating a More Equitable, Consensual Theatre Classroom
Essay

Dismantle the Hierarchy: Best Practices for Creating a More Equitable, Consensual Theatre Classroom

17 May 2021

Alli St. John shares a guide she developed for directors of youth theatre to prioritize consent and safe practices for staging theatrical intimacy.

event poster with text for episode 6 of unrehearsed futures.
Unrehearsed Futures: Serious Play
Drama School Mumbai logo
Drama School Mumbai
Embodied Poetics logo
Embodied Poetics
Centre for Theatre, Dance and Performance Studies, Cape Town, logo
CTDPS, Cape Town
Video

Unrehearsed Futures: Serious Play

Towards Decolonizing Physical Theatre Pedagogies

Thursday 13 May 2021
South Africa

Presenting Unrehearsed Futures: Serious Play livestreamed on the global, commons-based peer produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv Thursday 13 May 2021 at 4 a.m. EDT (New York, UTC -4) / 9 a.m. BST (London, UTC +1) / 10 a.m. SAST (Cape Town, UTC +2) / 1:30 p.m. IST (Mumbai, UTC +5:30) / 6 p.m. AEST (Hobart, UTC +10).

event poster with text for unrehearsed futures episode four.
Unrehearsed Futures: Theatre Making
Drama School Mumbai logo
Drama School Mumbai
Embodied Poetics logo
Embodied Poetics
Centre for Theatre, Dance and Performance Studies, Cape Town, logo
CTDPS, Cape Town
Video

Unrehearsed Futures: Theatre Making

Episode 4: Transference and Transposition - Notes from across the boundaries of the original medium

Thursday 29 April 2021
South Africa

Presenting Unrehearsed Futures: Theatre Making livestreamed on the global, commons-based peer produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv Thursday 29 April 2021 at 5 a.m. EDT (New York, UTC -4) / 10 a.m. BST (London, UTC +1) / 11 a.m. SAST (Cape Town, UTC +2) / 2:30 p.m. IST (Mumbai, UTC +5:30) / 7 p.m. AEST (Hobart, UTC +10).

person in orange sweater writing in a notebook.
Negotiating Quotidian: Performing the Everyday
Segal_Centre_Logo
Segal
Center
blue background with white text The Graduate Center
Ph.D. Program in Theatre and Performance, The Graduate Center, City University of New York”
Video

Negotiating Quotidian: Performing the Everyday

Investigating how performing the everyday has recently changed our perception of and experience in theatre and performance

Wednesday 28 April and Thursday 29 April 2021
United States

The Ph.D. Program in Theatre and Performance, The Graduate Center, City University of New York presented Negotiating Quotidian: Performing the Everyday livestreaming on the global, commons-based, peer-produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Wednesday 28 April and Thursday 29 April 2021.

event poster for unrehearsed futures episode two.
Unrehearsed Futures: Transcendence
Drama School Mumbai logo
Drama School Mumbai
Embodied Poetics logo
Embodied Poetics
Centre for Theatre, Dance and Performance Studies, Cape Town, logo
CTDPS, Cape Town
Video

Unrehearsed Futures: Transcendence

Episode 2: Thinking expansively about theatre and performance training

Thursday 15 April 2021
South Africa

Presenting Unrehearsed Futures: Transcendence livestreamed on the global, commons-based peer produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv Thursday 15 April 2021 at 4 a.m. EDT (New York, UTC -4) / 9 a.m. BST (London, UTC +1) / 10 a.m. SAST (Cape Town, UTC +2) / 1:30 p.m. IST (Mumbai, UTC +5:30) / 6 p.m. AEST (Hobart, UTC +10).

Image of an adult and child standing on a stage with recording equipment.
Why Are There No Great Kids of Color in the Performing Arts?
Essay

Why Are There No Great Kids of Color in the Performing Arts?

A Black Artist and Arts Educator’s Exploration on Challenges for Kids of Color in Arts Spaces

12 April 2021

Ilasiea Gray looks at the many challenges kids of color face in the performing arts, including access and exposure, the lack of educators of color, and more.