Middle School Students become Drama Detectives
Calling all middle school Creators!
No matter your interests, there is something for you to do in the theatre! Learn how to take a design from concept to creation while working amongst a team to bring a play to life. Use your detective skills to discover the clothes your character would wear, the food your character ate, and image how the world around your character looked and felt.
Drama Detectives allows students to use stories to learn about other cultures and times through the lens of something they find interesting. Each story is pulled from the Florida Department of Education’s middle school curriculum and dramatic skills are used to let students create the world of the story the way they imagine it.
First, students get into the mindset of the characters in the story. They try on clothes from that time period, wonder at how their lives would be different if they didn’t have electricity, and image what the world sounded like in that time and place. They learn to empathize with those who have a different perspective than they do by imagining that they have a life that is different than their own.
After spending time truly getting to understand the world of the story, students are asked to think outside the box as they come up with creative solutions to how they’ll make the story come to life in the confines of the stage, learning along the way how to work as a team and be adaptable.
Then, each member of the class will take responsibility for different aspects of the storytelling, working on their own or smaller teams on designing the lighting, sound, scenery, or costumes for the play- but also learning how to take their separate work and come together to create a cohesive vision.
At the end of the course, students present their designs to an invited audience.
Drama Detectives enrolls in September, January, and May. Each session is 15 weeks long and costs $150. Membership and multiple session discounts available.
To enroll, download the form from myvipa.org and e-mail it to information@vipam.org, call 941.218.3779 option 1, or visit the box office.
Drama Detectives is sponsored in part by the Florida Department of State, Divison of Cultural Affairs.
