Secondary Stages

Book excerpt: Secondary Stages combines in one volume everything a high school teacher needs to organize and implement a sucessful, dynamic theatre program. Bennett's approach is based on a simple premise: that exposure to theatre can be an utterly transforming experience for studentsone that enables them to reach unimagined levels of personal, emotional, and intellectual growth. His book delivers hands-on techniques to make it all happen, illustrating how to: draw interested students into the program inspire students to act with truth and conviction establish the connection between good improvisation and good scene work carry passion for theatre outside the classroom and into the mainstream of school life choose material that's stimulating enough to attract a sizable student audience without creating unwanted controversy structure activities and lessons so that they encourage maximum sensitivity and awareness lay the basis for mounting memorable productions. With these goals in mind and with more than three decades of experience, Bennett presents strategies that have consistently proven effective for the broadest possible range of students.