By Sandi Zimmerman Rebert
When I was growing up, there was a certain vegetable I definitely did not want to eat. It was a green vegetable, of course - a slimy looking miniature tree called broccoli. During my second year of college, I was faced with an unusual challenge from a fellow student whom I had met at dinner. He did not like corn, my favorite vegetable. I was afraid of broccoli, his favorite. The contest? He would eat some corn if I would try some broccoli. I gathered my courage and picked up my fork. It was wonderful! Broccoli was absolutely wonderful! To think of the years I had cheated myself from such marvelous cuisine!
What does all of this have to do with drama? Lots. How many of you have tried it? How many of you wonder if you could ever savor such a delicacy of fine arts fare simply because it's unfamiliar territory? Maybe lack of time is the reasoning. After all, you already have enough on your homeschooling plate without adding "broccoli" to the main course. Most states require some sort of fine arts program. Meat and potato courses like music and art are fantastic, but what about adding a green vegetable - like drama? It will help your child's creativity grow and blossom. I hope to dish out some ways to incorporate drama into your homeschooling menu. We'll start small with bite-sized pieces.
One of the best ways to begin is with your reading program or family devotions. Have your child read aloud with expression. Whether it's Winnie the Pooh, Great Expectations, or the story of the prodigal son, literature is a primary source of dramatic material. Have you ever noticed how many videos are actually books made into movies? Speaking of videos, why not watch the video version of a book after reading it? Have your child compare the two. Discuss the actors' abilities. How did they bring their character to life? Was the acting natural, contrived, or melodramatic? What could have been presented differently? Look for little idiosyncrasies that make each character distinct.
Let's talk about characters for a moment; they are the life of any story. Your children can make the characters in their story "real" by using a different quality of voice, rate of speech, and pitch for each one. For instance, a child would speak faster and higher than an old man, whose tones would be deeper, maybe even raspy. The narrative, as well as the "he saids" and "she saids," would be spoken in a relaxed interesting way, again, with expression but not overdone. This is the essence of storytelling. Older siblings could achieve great practice by reading children's storybooks to their younger siblings in such a way.
Add another helping of "broccoli." Take a small portion of their literature and make a "cutting." You are creating a dramatic reading, a wonderful tool allowing your children to present a small drama all by themselves! It also makes a great addition to a homeschool fine arts competition or year-end program! Choose an exciting section, long enough to have some variety but not so lengthy as to be overwhelming with just one or two characters, lots of dialog, and a minimum of narration. Remember that drama is a powerful medium; choose edifying godly material. Use I Corinthians 10:31 as your guide encouraging your children to develop their talent for God's glory, not their own. There are mounds of secular material you could choose from, but don't neglect Christian resources. What a tremendous way to present the gospel to that beloved grandparent or next-door neighbor!
Although it's called a reading, your child must memorize the selection in order for it to be properly presented. The best way to memorize anything, including Scripture, is the "whole method" of memorization. Instead of taking a few lines at a time, simply instruct your child to read the entire passage several times a day. Memorizing is less tedious and the lines will flow more naturally if taken as a whole. Before they know it, they'll know it!
Next, analyze the excerpt in several ways:
1. Characters - There is so much more to characters than just how they talk. Every character has depth: physical attributes (including mannerisms—Charles Dickens is great for this!), mental capabilities, emotional temperament, and spiritual qualities. (All right, Winnie the Pooh may be lacking in a few of these.) They have a past, a background that influences what they say and do. Your child can create a "character sketch," a brief outline detailing the qualities of each one.
2. Words - Have your children circle any words they can "color," not with crayons but with expression. Your child will be painting a picture with words. It's also a great way to reinforce adjectives!
3. Setting - Where and when is the story taking place? This will influence your interpretation of the piece. However, in a dramatic reading you don't need to add scenery, props, or costumes. (What a time saver!)
4. Gestures - What do you do with your hands? Do what comes naturally from what is being spoken. Please don't give your children a particular gesture for a particular word. For instance, every time the word mountain is said they make a curved line in front of their face signifying a mountain. This is the elocutionist style of acting; thankfully, it went out of vogue years ago. Yet, in my experience judging speech contests I have found many students who were instructed by adult coaches to use this stilted form of communication. This is where your critiquing of acting from the videos will come in handy.
Now, let's take all the knowledge your children have gained and apply it. They will create a Dramatic V first on paper, then in their imagination. This device will help your children and their audience keep the characters clearly defined. Your child stands at the vertex of the V. Each character is placed at a different end point extending from the V. Whenever your child is character A he will look in the direction of character A's placement. Whenever he is character B he will look in the direction of character B. By the way, unlike storytelling, there is no need to add the "he saids" and "she saids," nor any descriptions of what the character might be thinking or doing. Your child is acting the part although he doesn't move around the stage. He suggests actions by bending over slightly when performing the old man, looking up as if speaking to a grown-up when presenting the child, or reaching his hands toward an imaginary person when handing a paper to someone. Any description necessary to give continuity or added information will be presented by the narrator who pans the audience using direct eye contact so everyone feels included. All of this is just the butter on the broccoli. We'll add creamy cheese sauce another time or maybe bake it into a quiche, but, for now, let the butter melt in your mouth. Let your family enjoy the creativity God has given them. "Try it; you'll like it!"
Sandi Rebert is the author of Praising God on the Piano (a self-teaching piano course), Seventy Times Seven (a Christian novel for teens and adults), and numerous Christian plays, programs, cantatas, and musicals. A graduate of Bob Jones University, she is a pastor’s wife, homeschooling mom of 16 years, and piano teacher. She also enjoys teaching a Sunday school class of 4- and 5-year-olds, as well as a monthly ladies’ meeting, and directing church plays. Sandi’s burden is for young people to develop and use their God-given talents for His glory. To view in detail or purchase any of her homeschooling resources, visit www.dramaticdifference.com or call her at 1-207-778-9696.
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