This blog focuses on 2nd, 3rd and 4th grades.

  Like solving a math problem, each time the actor plays a new character, he or she must do a process of steps to bring the character to life.

It’s more than memorizing lines… The actor may hear – “Become the character.” BUT, what does “become the character really mean.” If you break that statement down, you will see that there are actual steps the actor performs before the final product is presented. Memorization is just one step in the process and it is not necessarily first. We are working on creating a character, learning how to enter and move on stage, learning how to speak on stage and learning when to speak. The students are often adept at memorizing, but it’s just as important to know when to speak. We call it “listening for your cue.” A cue gives you a sign when it will be your turn to say your line. It could be visual or audible – it could be a specific word, line or understanding the content. Learning to listen for one’s cue, keeps the actor focused and engaged in the action of the story.  In our classroom, we will even practice this various warm-ups.  

4th grade – LiONS AND GECKOS are preparing for their Monologues, which they will present in February. The focus of their work right now is creating a character that is authentic and believable.  They look for any information about their character that is given in their monologue, and answer questions that build a life for their character.  If the information isn’t there, the students must imagine and create what would be “true” about their character. They must create imaginary circumstances that are exciting and fun for themselves and for their audience.  They answer simple questions from “What’s your name?” to questions like –”My favorite thing to do is…  I get angry when… What do I fear most… Why am I saying these words?”  The students will also participate in Character Interviews which help prepare them to connect to their character prior to presenting their memorized monologues.   Currently, they are working on the MOMENT BEFORE.  This is a concept that helps the actor enter the stage “in character” already in action, emotionally alive and connected.  Where is the character coming from? What just happened?  How does he/she feel? 

Below is the Monologue Rubric which is how the 4th and 3rd grade students will be graded on their work.

Monologue Rubric

3rd grade – TREEFROGS AND LLAMAS are also preparing for Monologues.  A monologue is a speech delivered by one person.  The Greek root word monologos translates to “speaking alone” – one person doing all the talking.   A character might have an internal monologue where one talks to oneself to better understand some dilemma or in conversation, a character may speak extensively to another character to convince, to belittle, to persuade, to comfort (just a few examples) another character.  Like the 4th graders, the 3rd grade classes are creating a life for their character, and we will be holding character interviews in class.  The goal is for the student to stay in character the entire exercise – acting “as if” he/she was that person.  Perhaps the best way to define STAYING IN CHARACTER is by describing when the actor “breaks” character.  Breaking character occurs when the actor ceases to maintain the illusion of the character they are portraying.

3RD AND 4TH GRADE monologues have been sent home in hard copy and also electronically.  Please encourage your child to work on memorization and creating an authentic and believable character.  Acting a monologue is more than memorization – standing on stage and giving a speech.  It is the actor’s job to fill in the thoughts, feelings and actions of the character so that the words become his/her own.  

2nd grade – TIGERS are in rehearsal for their play, along with the Kindergartners and 1st grade, called BUGGED.  It will take place on Wednesday, March 13th in the morning.  We have begun the blocking process and some character work.  Blocking is the process of planning how and where the actors will move around the stage.  The stage is divided up into sections – based on the actors’ perspective to the audience.  So to cross Upstage the actor moves away from the audience.  To move Downstage one is moving toward the audience.  To move Stage Left or Stage right is to cross from the actor’s left/right.  A Cross is the way an actor moves on stage.  The Wings are part of the stage but offstage, out of sight of the audience. The wing space is used for performers preparing to enter.  Cue/Cue line is a prearranged sign or a line that indicates it’s time to say the next line or action.  Actors listen for cues in the text so that they know when it’s time to say or do something.  On-book means using the script because the actor is early in the process of memorization.  The students are moving towards being Off-book, fully memorized. 

2nd grade students need to be memorized by February 20.

    Grasshoppers                    Ants

Come this Thursday to THE ODYSSEY at Quest. 

A time for information and inspiration! Join us on February 7  from 6:00-8:00pm

This blog focuses on Preschool-1st grade drama classes.  

It’s a good idea to STAY IN CHARACTER.

This means when you are in the process of creating a character or taking on a role or personality, always commit 100% to acting like the person or thing you’re pretending to be; live in the imaginary world of that character.  Do not comment on the character or act silly when presenting, for this would be “breaking character.”  Once the actor “breaks the imaginary 4th wall,” the magic of acting is lost.

1st grade Dolphins and Beluga Whales

These past few weeks, the students are continuing to build on their ability to work together as a whole.  Understanding that each of them contributes to the success of the group’s work.

It’s the opposite – Go means Stop and Stop means Go!  Clap means Jump and Jump means…

Students are given a character in a moment’s time and must respond quickly while STAYING IN CHARACTER.  Also, students learn and memorize quickly a short poem and express themselves.

Kindergarten Sea Turtles and Starfish

Students are given a character in a moment’s time and must respond quickly while STAYING IN CHARACTER.  Often the Kindergartners want to make each other laugh by acting silly while performing.  Getting them to focus while staying in character is quite a learning curve.  Also, we watched marching bands moving together to create super heroes on the football field.  We took on the challenge to see how well we could work and move together.

PreSchool Otters and Junior Kindergarten Lemurs

The students recreate a tree growing from a small seed under the earth, bursting forth and growing, growing growing into a tree that bears fruit than loses its’ leaves.  They took turns getting inside a “seed” and bursting forth to become a tree.  The children demonstrated focus and commitment to the exercise – staying in character.  They also listened to the story called THE WIND AND THE SUN and performed it for each other.

The students continue to express more confidently as they build trust and safety with each other.    

This blog focuses on 2nd, 3rd and 4th grades.

 After hours of preparation – the hard work of memorization, learning cues and blocking – there is a sense of accomplishment as the actor crosses that finish line!

2nd grade Tigers     

These past few weeks, the students have been preparing for their Native-American Potlatch.  In their homeroom, they study customs and ways of living for different tribes in America.  In drama class, we present a Native-American legend in dramatic form.  This year the students performed The Story of Rainbow Crow.  

The students debriefed their overall work.  They felt they needed to have stronger projection and more aware of cues.  Soon we will begin preparations for our play with the Kindergarten and 1st grades.

3rd grade Treefrogs and Llamas

The 3rd grade classes have been studying about Explorers during the Renaissance period.  In drama class, we’ve talked about the various people of that time, including royalty, peasant, sailor and native.  We discussed how they may have walked or moved or performed simple actions, like drinking tea.  The actor observes human behavior to recreate it.  One method the actor studies is called Laban movement, developed by Rudolf Laban, who was a movement theorist, a choreographer and a dancer. He is considered a pioneer of modern dance.

Laban explored developing a character physically.  He categorized human movement into four components with two elements:

• Direction is either direct or indirect.
• Weight is either heavy or light.
• Speed is either quick or sustained.
• Flow is either bound or free

The students explored the basics of Laban’s method and had fun playing and discovering in preparation for their Renaissance Festival!

4th grade Lions and Geckos

The students haven’t had any recent performances, but have been crossing a different finish line.  They have been building an awareness of proper breathing (diaphragmatic), and learning how to have a clear and supported voice.  This takes lots of work and concentrated effort and practice.  We have listened to voices that are free and pleasant, as well as voices that are less pleasant sounding and have glottal fry.  We are exercising our speaking muscles (articulators) and learning how to stand on center – the Actor’s Stance – a place of readiness (the body stands balanced & upright with a minimum of tension) vs. the Common stance or the Puffed-up Stance. 

Before the Winter break in December, the 3rd and 4th grade students will be working on developing their skill of Memorization and presenting a Monologue.

This blog focuses on Preschool-1st grade drama classes.  

Our Kindergarten and 1st grades are learning about the concept of GIVE AND TAKE.  Just like in life, there are times on stage when you give focus and other times you take focus.  Listening and responding appropriately, asking questions, observation, and discovering are different ways actors practice this skill.  

According to the Cambridge dictionary, give-and-take is the willingness to accept another person’s ideas and give up some of your own.  It is truly said that making somebody happy is a question of give and take.   

“Give and take” is an important concept in acting and takes time to develop.  An actor learns when to give focus to another actor and when to take focus.  If an actor is speaking a line, all eyes and ears should be on her.  When it is time for you to speak,  you need to take focus and speak with strong committed energy.  We also talked about “stealing focus” – which can happen often in a drama class.  Whether silliness or boredom, fidgeting body or side conversation that distracts; stealing focus is just what it says… it steals our focus from what’s being said or from the focused energy.  We will be working on exercises in the coming weeks that continue to build on Give and Take – leading and following, observation and concentration.

The students really enjoyed working together to create one character called Dr. Know-It-All.  Three players sit in chairs next to each other.  They respond to questions by saying only one word at a time; making their answer flow smoothly so it sounds as if one person is speaking.  They must be aware of what each other is doing.  If one changes his/her position, they all must do the same.  “Doctor, what is the answer to 2+2?”  The…answer…. for… Two… Plus… Two…is… Four.

(Some times the video doesn’t cooperate.  You may have to copy the link and paste in – sorry) 

1st grade – Beluga Whales & Dolphins  (All Give & Take)

https://youtu.be/a8S2v95kj1U    Dolphins Dr. Know-it-all

Kindergarten- Sea Turtles and Starfish

https://youtu.be/C_WuDCUmE5Y     Sea Turtles Martha’s Game (Give and Take)

 Pre-School:  Otters and Lemurs

Our early childhood students (Preschool and Junior Kindergarten) are developing emotional and body awareness through imagination and movement.   We always begin with a warm-up to stretch and move the body – this helps to get the wiggles out.  We practice learning physical control and respecting “personal space bubbles.”   We get the blood flowing through the body and to the brain, and then focus that energy so that meaningful engagement can begin.  

The students have been stretching their imagination skills – from looking up into the sky and seeing different objects and animals in the clouds to using a red scarf and imagining it is a snake, a neck tie, a tail, a blanket or pillow, becoming a super-hero or even a ghost.

As trust is being built in the classroom, the students express more freely!

This blog focuses on 2nd-4th grade drama classes.

What have we been doing in lower school drama?!  

Can you imagine a snow boarder trying to qualify for the Olympics having only trained for a year? Absurd!  Can you even conceive of an eye surgeon to be an expert in his field, but having never actually studied the human eye?  Insane.  Studying theatre arts is a discipline that also takes training over time.  Specifically, acting is the study and communication of human behavior.  Actors use their bodies and voices to communicate all kinds of human struggles and experiences.  The actor’s instrument is made up of: the physical, the emotional, the imagination, sensory expression, logical thinking and identification. In simple terms – the tools the actor needs are: The body. The voice. The mind (imagination).  Each of these tools must be exercised and developed.  Of course, this does not happen overnight, but is a life-long process that continues as the student works on the craft of acting.

Below are some of the moments captured in our classroom.  The students are always encouraged to respond believably in the imaginary circumstances, to react as if something is real.  Last year, in 2nd-4th grades, we looked at the Greek Theatre and how it influenced the first actors.  This year we looked at the MEDIEVAL THEATRE and how the theatre continues to influence people’s thought and culture.  We specifically focused on the Morality play Everyman.  Then, we created our own Morality plays using the different Character traits we focus on in Quest’s Character education.  You will see different creative approaches – with words, without words, speaking directly to the audience.      They  are simple ~2 minute scenes.  (Some times the video doesn’t cooperate.  You may have to copy the link and paste in – sorry) 

Lions and Geckos –  

The 4th graders began the year by reviewing the question… Is Acting Being or Doing?  We often have to review this question and it’s answer.

I like how Charles McGaw states it best in his book ACTING IS BELIEVING.  “One of the most common mistakes made by young actors is to attempt to act by being, rather than doing. The actor who concentrates upon being drunk, being angry, being sad, being afraid is certain to fail.  He must concern himself, just as he does in actual life, with what he would do in each situation, not with what he would be.  When you are angry, your mind is not taken up with being angry.  You are concerned with the cause – the person or thing that has made you angry; and you may deal with the cause in any one of a number of ways.  You may overlook it. You may seek release from your anger in some act of physical violence. You may forgive. You may plan some dreadful revenge.  Certainly you are not saying to yourself, “I must be angry.”

One of the exercises the students enjoyed is called a “Box of Wants.” From an imaginary box they pull out an actable verb and communicate it. It challenges them to be very specific and clear with their actions.

https://youtu.be/qaJ5u-whG2U    (Lion Morality)

https://youtu.be/EnBxz_NeAKI   (Gecko Morality)

Treefrogs and Llamas –  

A BIG part of the actor’s process is to communicate a message that is clear and evokes an emotion or a thoughtful response.  In order to do that, practice clearly communicating his/her thought or story.  After presenting a drama exercise, students typically want to “tell us what they were doing,”  BUT I say, “Let us tell you what we saw and heard.”  It’s tricky to clearly communicate what’s in one’s mind into the actual doing.  This was tricky in our exercise SNAPSHOTS.  Students were asked to communicate a simple story in three pictures.  In essence, the story is being captured at the Beginning, Middle and End.  The students were working on creating a story that illustrated a Character trait.

Snapshot Scene

Tigers –

Our second grade class is a bigger class and is still learning how to work together – listening, sharing ideas and thought then executing.  They really enjoyed reading through the play Everyman and are still curious about how it ends.  They read with interest and great expression.  Transferring that enthusiasm into personal work is always tricky for the actor.  Moving from reading words on a page to bringing it life is a process.  Keep in mind when you watch, these 2nd graders created the story and action themselves.

We just began preparing for their upcoming Native-American Potlatch coming up in November just before the Thanksgiving break.  The students will be performing a Native-American legend entitled “Rainbow Crow.”  They each have an assigned role and lines to memorize.  Each student should have come with their script.  Below is an additional script so that parents can encourage, even help their child memorize his/her lines.

Rainbow Crow 

As promised…  Some of you asked if I could post my Google slide presentation from MEET THE TEACHER night.  Click on the address below.  You can also click on the individual videos to see a peek into students’ from beginning to the end.

Meet the Teacher Drama Deanna-1otnyfx Lower School Drama Meet the Teacher-1bnj6cy

I’m at Quest on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays. If you need to speak with me, please email or let’s meet during my office hours on Tuesday morning from 9-9:30am. 

This blog focuses on Preschool-1st grade drama classes.

What have we been doing in lower school drama?!  

Exercising our imaginations.

The beginning of the school year is always exciting for me.  I am often surprised by what engages the students and what seems to bore them silly.  I love teaching “young” learners about the theatre and seeing the lights bulbs go on when it connects with them. The best part of my day is sitting on the floor with the students watching and listening to them share – some with growing confidence, others with such exuberance! Dramatic play is one way that children learn about the world around them.  My mission with drama is to raise each child’s creative and expressive potential so that he or she engages in the art of theatre.  My goal is to help your child to think, to imagine, to create and clarify ideas so that they may use these skills in other areas of school and in life.  What a privilege it is for me to “play” alongside the delightful students at Quest.  (Some times the video doesn’t cooperate.  You may have to copy the link and paste in – sorry) 

In Pre-school we have been talking about our imaginations and using the MAGIC IF – imagining… pretending AS IF something is real, then acting it out.  I have also introduced to the students how we will listen to and act out a story in the drama room.  We are learning how to be an audience member – enjoying the story without talking or shouting out, sitting, listening and responding appropriately, and of course, clapping “uproariously” for the work/performance.

In 1st grade and Kindergarten we are developing ensemble skills – specifically working together in collaboration.  Everyone thinks, creates and contributes.  Give and take is an important concept in acting.  An actor knows when to give focus to another actor and when to take focus.  If an actor is speaking a line, all eyes and ears should be on her. When it is time to say your line, speak it with strong committed energy and take focus.  The exercise the students participated in also challenges the student to develop in the area of courage – creating and sharing with confidence.

The students are all at different levels and learning at their own pace. Some students think that drama class is a time to release a lot of energy, be silly and show off, but they will learn that their energy needs to be focused so that it produces clear and engaging action – that seems “as if it’s real.”  You will hear me say… “It’s not time to be silly but… SERIOUS. “

As promised…  Some of you asked if I could post my Google slide presentation from MEET THE TEACHER night.  Click on the address below.  It should work this time, well… it did for me.  You can also click on the individual videos to see a peek into students’ from beginning to the end.

Meet the Teacher Drama Deanna-1otnyfx Lower School Drama Meet the Teacher-1bnj6cy

I’m at Quest on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays. If you need to speak with me, please email or let’s meet during my office hours on Tuesday morning from 9-9:30am. 

Thanks for all the Parents who attended Meet the Teacher.  In my next blog post I will include materials and information that I talked about.  BUT FOR NOW –

Be the Iguana!

This is what I tell my students.  What does it mean?  Below a former student writes about what he remembers…

… I always look back on that season with so much joy and think of you frequently. Ha, in fact I wrote a blog post all about “Being the Iguana” because I’ve never forgotten that!!! You can read it HERE if you want.  (selected portions of the post included below)

When I was about 10 years old… we would meet on a weekly basis to train and practice drama… At the time, the leader of our team was named Deanna Armentrout and she was not only a fantastic teacher, but she was very educated in the field of theatre….   My favorite part was playing silly improv games. They were meant to help develop our acting abilities.  One game we played that I loved was called “Yes, Let’s!” In this game, two people are in front of the rest of the class and after a person is selected to start, they turn to their partner and say something like: “Let’s go fishing!” Person 2 then enthusiastically says: “Yes, let’s!” and both begin the motions of fishing for a second. Then immediately, person 2 turns to person 1 and says something like: “Let’s play Frisbee!” Person 1 says (you guessed it): “Yes, lets!” and they begin tossing a frisbee – and so on.  It was a fun game but like most improv games involving young students, one of the biggest obstacles was not wanting to be embarrassed or look stupid… It was easy for me to feel awkward and uncomfortable when asked to portray certain roles or characters.

I remember there was this one time that Deanna could tell we were all feeling squirmy and uncomfortable as lanky, pimple-faced students and weren’t really letting go of our insecurities to truly embrace what it meant to act. She then told a story that I’ve never forgotten.  She told us all to sit down, looked us all in the eyes for a few moments and then said: “Guys, I want you to be the iguana!” We giggled and looked at each other, confused.

The story goes like this: When Deanna was in school, she and her classmates were taking part in an improv game where they drew a few pieces of paper out of a hat and had to create a scene incorporating each of the things written on the pieces of paper. When it was Deanna’s turn, she happened to draw out: Iguana and Toilet. Obviously these were two pretty odd things to combine, but after struggling with the thought of what people would think of her, Deanna made a decision that she was just going to go for it and not care what she looked like.  She then improvised a scene where she got flushed down the toilet and (in a clever move, with her back to the group) applied green make-up to her face and came out totally transformed into a very believable iguana… complete with tongue flickering with such commitment that both her teacher and the rest of the class voted her improv performance their favorite.

So, how did she go from having, arguably, the most potentially embarrassing combination of words, to being voted the favorite by her class?  She just went for it.  She just said: “Yes, Let’s!”

…Commit yourself 100% to whatever you’re doing and by doing so, people won’t have time to make you feel embarrassed because they’ll be completely drawn into whatever you’re doing…  In a generation of sarcastic skepticism being the default, I’m learning… Instead of filtering the world through the lens of criticism, I’m learning to try and see things through a “Yes, Let’s!” filter… I want to commit to whatever I do with full abandon and not be ruled by the norm or what  has been done in the past or with being overly concerned with what people will think of me.  I’d rather be an impressive iguana than a conformed Dugan… When it comes to my life, I hope I can start living in a way that when asked to be flushed down a toilet and turn into an iguana, without hesitation I say: “Yes, Let’s!”  

BE THE IGUANA.  COMMIT 100%.  PARTICIPATE 100%.  GIVE 100% OF YOU… and often you will find out that kind of attitude and approach to your work (and life) will bring great satisfaction.  Something inside will say… “I’ve done the work.  I’ve given my best.”  I desire this mindset for my students.  From the moment they step inside the classroom, to each warm-up, activity and exercise… BE THE IGUANA.

Below are some pictures of students GIVING 100% during a music response exercise. 

2nd grade Tigers                    1st Grade Beluga Whales

1st grade Dolphins               Junior Kinder – Lemurs

3rd Grade Llamas

Kindergarten Sea Turtles      Kindergarten Sea Stars

4th grade Lions                          4th grade Geckos

Lower School DRAMA…

When students enter the drama room the expectation is that they will PARTICIPATE, discover, reveal, share and engage with others – with 100% commitment!   

Commitment –  Fear, indecision and doubt hold most students (people) back from revealing a true moment and feeling a sense of giving their best.  Fear holds you back from making bold choices in your acting. Fear is the little voice inside your head that asks, “What if this doesn’t work? What will others think?”  Remember… you have control over that voice.  Once you allow yourself fearless self-expression, your creativity can flourish.  And even more, it inspires and allows others to make bold choices and flourish too.   Indecision leads to a lifeless performance.  You want your listener to be engaged with what you are doing.  Commit to a decision.  Take a creative stand.  Someone may call your choice odd, but they cannot say you weren’t committed.  Doubt, otherwise known as indecision’s little sister, is that little voice that waits until you’ve quietened the voices of fear and indecision, and then asks: “Did I make the right choice?”  Commit yourself to the choice you’ve made, and continue on positively.   Don’t allow doubt to smash your joy!

Look for more about COMMITMENT in my next blog post.

As the Lower School Drama Teacher for students in PreSchool-4th grade,  I love teaching young people, and I am passionate about teaching drama!  My goal is to raise each child’s creative and expressive potential so that he or she engages in the art of theatre.  This is my sixth year teaching drama at Quest, and it is a privilege to teach alongside such a committed and creative staff with some of the best kids on the planet!

Students have drama once a week for 45min/half an hour – depending upon the grade level.   Lower School drama focuses on developing a basic understanding of the foundational skills in drama.  Our focus is not just on the performance, but on the process it takes to get there.  Kindergarten through 2nd grade will present a Drama and Music presentation together in March, and 3rd-4th grades will present one in May.  (See specific dates below)  This presentation partners with our Lower School Music Teacher, Mrs. Annabel Hasty.  More details will come later in the year.

Here, I will write about Lower School Drama classes in the following manner –  I will rotate blog entries between Pre-School through 1st grade and then, grades 2nd-4th.  I will also communicate any important information happening in the drama class and at Quest.

I am excited about the new year and all the ways the students and I will learn and grow together.  I had a great summer with my family. Together we directed/performed three shows with a cast of talented students 16-21 years of age with the Schaumburg Street Theatre.  Pictures below:  The Clown Prince and Daze of Olde.

Playing Bocce ball with family

In Chicago, celebrating family heritage

Mark Your Calendars… 

Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grade Drama and Music Presentation – Wednesday, March 13, 2019 –  8:45am                                                3rd and 4th Drama and Music Presentation  – Wednesday, May 8, 2019 – 6:30pm      

See you at (Lower School)  Meet the Teacher Night                                                                       Thursday, August 3oth – 6:30-8pm    

The best way to reach me is to email me @ deanna.armentrout@questacademy.org

Some may argue that hard work doesn’t always pay off, but I still believe when students put in the demanding work to accomplish a great task, they reap great benefits from their efforts.   

  There is a sense of accomplishment.  They build confidence and discover they can persevere through  a challenge.  In the end, there is often a feeling of joy or satisfaction, a strong desire to do it again!

Below are pictures/videos from some of the presentations and performances done in 2nd, 3rd and 4th grade classes.

2nd grade

3rd grade

4th grade

To “feel a sense of accomplishment” means to feel like you’ve achieved something great.   

In order to “have a sense of accomplishment,” you need to do some work first.  The work one does to prepare for a play can be quite a daunting challenge for a young/inexperienced actor.  Everything can be a learning curve.  From reading a script to holding the script during a blocking rehearsal, from memorizing words on the page to saying the lines as if you are saying them for the first time, from observing the beginning of the process to when the students cross the finish line is a great sense of accomplishment that helps build their confidence and perseverance.  As one Quest parent said to me, “At the end of the performance, the children’s faces were beaming!”

Below are pictures/videos from STONE SOUP (Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grade)

(Sometimes videos do not appear; put in the web address)

The Preschool students have been pretending to be statues, while learning about physical self-control.  The idea of not moving at all can be challenging to a 3 and 4-year-old because to them they’re not doing what they want to do.  Of course, they’re little kids – they want to move and be free because they have all this LIFE in them.  Learning how to control the body requires self-discipline and is part of the maturation process.  This is a necessary skill in the acting process.

Below is from our re-telling of a SOUP OPERA (Lemurs)

Otters STATUES…

Below is our re-telling of the SOUP OPERA (OTTERS)