The world is a stage, and so is your classroom! Hone the skills of the next generation of Tony® award winners with a set of exercises, reference pages, writing prompts, and excerpts from famous plays.

You could spend a full day discussing The Phantom of the Opera and not scratch the surface, but a set of lessons about the literary elements and themes of the musical production is a great start. Young thespians build upon the background...

Discuss the lives of artists in the Lyme Art Colony in the 1900s with this resource. Young historians write and perform a short scene depicting individuals who lived in the Griswold boardinghouse, used by the colony artists. They use the...

The classroom comes alive with the sound of the songs from musicals as young thespians investigate the elements that make a show worthy of a Tony Award. Groups select a show, evaluate it in terms of the criteria used by the awards...

There are two distinct periods of African theater: BC (before colonialism) and AC (after colonialism). The 49th installment of the Crash Course Theater and Drama introduces viewers to African dance and theater traditions. However, they...

Many Broadway shows, including Hamilton, got their start off the infamous street. Video 47 from the Crash Course Drama and Theater playlist focuses on the creation of Off-Broadway theater. Discussion centers around specific theaters and...

Life doesn't make sense, so theater shouldn't make sense either. A video about the theater of the absurd, the 45th installment of the Crash Course Drama and Theater series, discusses the unique movement in theater history. An overview of...

A video, number 44 on the Crash Course Drama and Theater playlist, covers the work of Bertolt Brecht, who believed theater should be more than an escape from reality. Content covers a range of Brecht's styles and includes a summary of...

Despite spending many years in a sanatorium, Antonin Artaud became a well-known playwright. Video 43 from the Crash Course Drama and Theater playlist describes the life work of the French playwright with a focus on the theater of...

Method acting got its start in the 1930s. A video, the 42nd video in the Crash Course Theater and Drama playlist, describes the theater scene during the 1930s, including the introduction of method acting. Information on Waiting for...

Artists shattered stereotypes during the Harlem Renaissance. Video 41 on the Crash Course Drama and Theater playlist describes art and theater during the time period with a focus on Broadway plays and musicals written by...

When it comes to quality theater, Americans were tardy to the party. A video on early American theater, number 40 on the Crash Course Drama and Theater playlist, shares information about plays during the early 20th century.  Discussions...

Artists, musicians, and dramatists have long been the leaders in the quest for social justice. To gain an understanding of the power of the arts to address social issues, class members listen to a reading of Drew Daywalt's The Day the...

A study guide for the stage adaptation of Nicholas Nickleby by Charles Dickens introduces readers to the characters for the first time. A table of contents lays out the features of the guide, which includes information on the historical...

Welcome to the Renaissance, known as one of the most vibrant periods in the world of theater. An informational video provides a thorough overview of the period, noting key changes that took place on the stage. After a lengthy discussion...

In the Middle Ages, theater left the church of moved outside to a secular stage. An interesting video describes the transition from pulpit to public venue, discussing common plot lines and other aspects of medieval drama. Animated...

Historically, members of the upper class provide plenty of fodder for comedic writers. Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest is no exception, and a study guide for the classic play discusses some of the Victorian social issues he...

A writer has the responsibility to defend the less fortunate members of society. At least that was the view of Victor Hugo, author of Les Miserables. The novel is the subject of a study guide from Orlando Shakespeare Theater. Learners...

Fans of musical theater may know the title tune of Into the Woods well, but do they know what the show is all about? A study guide provides information about the classic musical, including details about the characters and a summary of...

George Bailey learns that it truly is a wonderful life when he discovered how many lives he has touched—not to mention how many new generations of lives the story touches every year. A study guide on It's a Wonderful Life  introduces...

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens has delighted readers for generations. An in-depth study guide gives an overview of an adaptation of the classic story for the stage. Along with summaries of the plot and key characters, theater goers...

A study guide for Native Gardens, a dramatic play, introduces theater lovers to a set of a neighbors and the problems they face. Discussion questions in the guide tackle themes of racism, ageism, and classism.

Before Hamilton, Lin Manuel-Miranda gained fame with In the Heights. A study guide prepares theater goers for a performance of the musical about a group of friends living in the New York City neighborhood of Washington Heights. Resources...

Oh, the drama! According to Plato, poetry is a false representation of reality and, to him, poetry included drama. The Puritans also despised theater, a topic the informational video explores. The narrator describes the controversial...