Literary Engagement
Performances for school audiences
Performances at theatrical venues provide an introduction to literature and the spoken word in an exciting field trip. The experience can include preparatory and post-play
workshops that examine storytelling techniques, universal
human themes, and the roles of literacy, self-expression,
and education in the achievement of one's life goals. ECT
works to create culturally understandable contexts for language
encounters.
Typical recommended performance engagement consists of:
•
1 hour preparatory workshop during school hours.
• The performance (75 minute without intermission)
• A 45 minute structured dialogue with cast, crew,
and visiting artists after the show.
• 1 hour processing discussion and writing workshop
Detailed
study guides are also made available weeks prior to teachers
as a supplement to their classroom investigations, focusing
on the play, the production, the playwright, and the historical
or social context of the play. It suggests a variety of
exercises for curriculum integration in writing, comprehension,
vocabulary, the arts and crafts of the theatre, and to help
teachers explore thematic applications of the plays to students'
contemporary experiences.
Enhancing
the program's educational impact, the plays showcase outstanding
role models of professional multi-cultural actors to help
students develop positive self-identities with visions and
plans for the future.
Previous venues have included:
San Gabriel Civic Auditorium
John Anson Ford Amphitheatre
Nate Holden Performing Arts Center
El Portal Theatre
Japan America Theatre
Luckman Fine Arts Complex
Baldwin Park Performing Arts Center
Belvedere Park Amphitheatre
Sturges Center of Fine Arts
