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GCS Drama Department
The goal of the Upper School Drama program is twofold. It strives to encourage the drama student to actively participate in developing an awareness of, and appreciation for, the school community and society at large through the creative use of body and mind. Also, the Drama program wishes to bolster newly learned skills through the exploration of scene study and performance, working collaboratively and individually both in and out of class. Lessons are designed to encourage students to shift from a passive level of learning to an active, “get your hands dirty” style of study. In order to achieve this, emphasis on the academic is pared down; primary class exercises and assignments are hands-on, practical and reflective. In short, drama is used as a tool to increase and encourage self-expression, imagination, and generosity of spirit.
As an introduction to drama in the Upper School, the GRADE 5 curriculum is centered entirely on playwriting. This allows for the group to begin to hone their collaborative skills and to gain an appreciation for the playwriting process. Students learn about the give and take of the rehearsal process and have the opportunity to present their work to the rest of the Upper School student body in a relaxed performance setting.
The GRADE SIX curriculum focuses completely on social and cultural theatre. Whereas in the Fifth Grade the students’ focused on school centered diversity issues and their own personal matters, now the emphasis shifts to a focus on major world concerns and a look at how other cultures have impacted theatre and theatre practice in the United States and beyond.
GRADE SEVEN students spend half the year studying dance, the other half working in the drama classroom. Comedic improvisation and character study are explored in depth. Improvisation work enables the student to become facile and deft, both in the classroom and in the outside world. Character study provides the student a chance to explore why people are who they are and why they do the things they do, lending insight and sensitivity to those around them.
The main focus of the GRADE EIGHT curriculum is contemporary scene study contrasted with reading, studying and presenting Shakespeare's work. Building on the character work done in previous years, the eighth graders delve deeper with a more thorough breakdown of contemporary scripts, including a look at settings and costumes. This is followed up by an examination of Shakespeare and his timeless characters and plots.
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