SHANA’S MUSINGS
How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Zoom Theater
Imagine my surprise when, in response to social distancing protocols, I moved my youth production of King Lear from the rehearsal hall to Zoom....and loved it.
I want to bring people together when it would be so easy to let them drift apart.
Traveling Director's Notes
Let me speak of the theatricality of the world. Of shining lakes, and brilliant mountains, and reflective lakes, and sparkling seas, of craggy cliffs and otherworldy waterfalls. I find myself encountering landscapes like I would a rehearsal and travel the way I do season planning. I am delighted by the way the contours of the earth inform language, intrigued by the way civilization and its discontents create and destruct. The basics of travel – Oh brave new world, that has such people in it/'Tis new to thee – play out continually in my travel diaries and dialogues. The stories and perspectives I encounter stretch me, sometimes harshly, sometimes gently, but always expanding my capacity for wonder and imagination.
PUBLICATIONS
DIRECTOR’S NOTES, a book
A collection of essays on theater, life, and family.
For a copy, please contact me.
"This was an utter delight to read. Your prose is pure gold, capturing nuance and emotion with a clarity and passion sorely lacking in most of the world’s verbiage."
"Your director's notes brought me to tears. Your writing moves me every time."
"Lovely, lovely notes that I want to read and re-read again. You have so many gifts that you share with us, and your exquisite writing-poetic and singing, philosophical and soul moving takes me to new and mind opening places. Thank you, thank you!"
12 Tips for taking kids to the theater, an essay
Published by ParentMap and BlueStar Families
Theater offers a unique opportunity for connection and conversation, especially with tweens and teens. Theater can be both fabulous entertainment and meaningful art. Enjoying theater with kids is easy, especially if you approach the experience with appropriate expectations and a few goal-oriented strategies. Here are a few ways to set the stage for connecting with your kids through a theater experience.
Spark Student Creativity with Zoom-friendly Exercises!
Published by Norton K-12Talk
Bringing creativity into the classroom isn’t only for art teachers! Creativity hinges on discovery, and as educators we can intentionally set the stage for those moments of discovery to happen. Creativity is also intrinsically tied to collaboration–whether individually, by engaging different aspects of the self in conversation, or collectively, by communicating with others to build something together. Creativity is about being ingenious, resourceful, and taking risks. Whether your focus is math or reading, science or history, coding or painting, creativity is an essential ingredient to learning, engagement, and sparking curiosity and joy. Read More
Teaching drama at a distance
Published by Edutopia
Tips and strategies to help literature and drama teachers adapt theatrical pedagogy for the Zoom stage.