Proposing

After-School Theater Club

This program is designed to be a fun, stress-free, and supportive space for students who wish to explore theater at a pace that fits each student’s individual wants and needs! The classes are from 4 PM-6 PM Monday through Thursday, with Monday and Wednesday being for the 5-9 age group, while Tuesday and Thursday will be for the 10-14 age group. Every week, the students will each have an acting class, a Shakespeare class, and a Musical Theater class. For ages 5-9, the classes will be a fun and exciting introduction to theater with a focus on games and storytelling. For ages 10-14, the classes will be a step more specific, while maintaining a stress-free and supportive environment as the priority!

Elementary level (ages 5-9)

• Shakespeare: students will explore the silly side of Shakespeare. They will learn the stories, play games involving the characters, and recreate the stories.
• Acting: students will learn and play acting games, work on simple scenes, and even create full-length performances as a group.
• Musical theatre: students will explore the world of musical theater. We will learn simple and fun songs together, learn theater history, and create group numbers.

 Middle School level (ages 10-14)

• Acting: students will learn and play acting games and exercises. We will also do some scene work, picking from children’s stories and create stories together.
• Musical theater: students will explore the world of musical theater. We will learn songs, theater history, and create group numbers.
• Shakespeare: students will explore the depth of Shakespeare’s work. They will discover the plots, learn about the characters, understand the rhythm of iambic pentameter, and have a chance to explore the comedies and tragedies.

Showcase/Performance:

After three months, each age group will put on a showcase of the work. The performance can be anything from scenes, songs, games the class enjoys, and even a one-act play. Ideally, we would have a showcase for the 5-9 kids and a showcase for the 10-14 kids.

Week at a Glance (2-Week Period):

*key:

E = Elementary Level

M = Middle School Level

Class objectives:

• Environment
• Theater program accessible to students of all support needs,neurodivergence, identity, class, etc.
• Staff will ensure the safety of all students and participants (Program leaders have been LiveScanned as they both work for SCCS).
• The program will maintain itself as a safe space to try new things, be authentic, and make mistakes/happy accidents.
• All students will be treated as equals, none will be treated as lesser, we are all here to have fun and keep our enjoyment of play alive.
• Learning
• Each day will focus on a different aspect of the theater experience. Some days will focus on acting, some on design, some on strategies to build confidence, some on self advocacy. 
•  Students will create designs that can be brought home, and at the end of 3 months a showcase of things learned will be presented to families and friends.
• Students will put together a program consisting of games, designs, and scenes they they feel proud of to present to friends and families.
• Sample week’s lesson plan to be attached.
• Skill Building
• Students will build skills such as: literacy, confidence, recognition of emotions, self advocacy, patience, creativity/thinking outside the box, public speaking, memorization, the importance of going at your own pace, learning from mistakes, collaboration, and social skills.
• Mission
• To provide a supported space that celebrates a love for theater and acting. An environment that gives every student the chance to explore theater at their own pace, that caters to their individual wants and needs.