TH 667 - Special Topics in Theatre Education

Course Description

"Examines such topics as theatre-in-education, puppetry, playwriting with and for youth, theatre education outreach, and the teaching of dance and movement. Subject matter varies each semester. May be repeated for credit."

Summer 2024 Topics:

Section 007: Central Square Theatre: Arts-Based Youth Activism Theatre

Learn about arts-based youth activism through the lens of Central Square Theater's (CST) resident performance ensemble Youth Underground (YU). Each year, YU serves an ensemble of economically and culturally diverse Cambridge & Greater Boston youth, ages 13-25, and provides opportunities for them to create and perform original theater that investigates social issues relevant to young people and our world. In this course, participants will learn about YU's history, philosophy, and techniques along with alternate approaches to arts-based activism. Drawing inspiration from these programs, students will begin to develop their own community-based, inclusive, youth-centered program by considering the impacts of community partnerships and funders while designing and practicing curriculum. This course runs concurrently with YU's summer intensive, and some sessions will take place at Central Square Theater in Cambridge, MA so that participants may observe the program.

Section 008: Theatre for YA/Theatre for the Very Young New Works Lab Theatre

This course will explore models for TYA/TVY new work development through theory to practice, from theatre for the very young to theatre for high school audiences. This interdisciplinary course will explore elements of devising, playwriting, directing, and design, in addition to learning about the growing field of new work development. We will study four companies' new work development models (Trusty Sidekick, Arts on the Horizon, Punchdrunk, and PigPen Theatre Company) and then use the models to develop new work projects within the course.