A/RP 2024-25: Chris Landis & Jason Roebke

Theater & Politics

How are politics present in our classroom?

Theater and Music

8th MU:Cr3.1.8

b. Present the final version of a personal composition or arrangement, using musicianship and originality to utilize various compositional techniques and convey expressive intent.

8th MU:Pr4.1.8

d. Perform contrasting pieces of music, demonstrating as well as explaining how the music’s intent is conveyed by their interpretations of the elements of music and expressive qualities (for example, dynamics, tempo, timbre, articulation/style, phrasing).

8th MU:Re7.1.8

a. Explain reasons for selecting music based on musical characteristics, interest, purpose or context.

CREATING

8th TH:Cr1.1.8 a. Imagine and explore multiple perspectives and solutions to performance problems in a drama/theatre work.

8th TH:Cr2.1.8 a. Articulate and apply critical analysis, background knowledge, research, and historical and cultural context to the development of original ideas for a drama/theatre work.

PERFORMING

8th TH:Pr4.1.8 a. Identify various choices to enhance the interpretation of a drama/theatre work.

b. Use various character objectives, motives, and tactics in a scene to overcome obstacles.

8th TH:Pr5.1.8 a. Choose a variety of acting techniques to increase skills in a rehearsal or drama/ theatre performance

RESPONDING

8th TH:Re8.1.8 b. Analyze how cultural perspectives influence the interpretation of a drama/theatre work.

CONNECTING

8th TH:Cn10.1.8 a. Examine a community issue through multiple perspectives in a drama/theatre work.

We were able to create a film adaptation of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar! The students worked together to create something. This was most successful when the class split up into small groups. Small groups provided the students with a more comfortable environment to explore their discipline and learn together. The students were able to experience the process of simple music composition and group performance. There were several independent parts in the music that they performed. The students learned to maintain their part while listening to the other parts to keep their place in the music. Grappling was very evident throughout the course of the unit.  We kept going back to our inquiry question and the students understood that it was a complex and unanswerable question. When the class performed some of the short vignettes that they created, they engaged in the work fully. We also had success in involving English Learner (EL) students in the class. Through the combination of music performance and movement-based theater, we were able to avoid isolating those students.

We struggled with the classroom ensemble at times but we wove this struggle into our Big Idea and inquiry questions.  A small group of students dominated others voices for the majority of the unit. That made it challenging to keep engaged with work. We also had a hard time keeping everyone engaged at all times when making a film. We wanted to film outdoors, but it was bad weather, and it would have been a challenge to keep a lot of kids all engaged in work.

CHRIS LANDIS: This was my first experience collaborating in class with a C.A.PE. teaching artist, and also the first time I was teaching a middle school (7th and 8th) elective class at Waters.  Elective being the operative word, because according to my administration the students in this blended classroom had opted in to take Drama.  Assuming that we would be working with a group of young motivated artists, when Jason and I submitted our "Big Idea: Performing Arts and Politics," I was convinced that we would easily inspire our students and achieve an artistic and interesting outcome with the project.   

We were set to start on the heels of the 2024 United States Presidential election and assumed that with such a "hot" issue the students interest would lead to a plethora of inquiry and plenty of content.  Instead we were met with our own classroom politics, conflict and ultimately struggled through most of the experience trying to get the class to work cohesively, "buy-in," and act as an ensemble.  

As I write this, at least half a year has gone by, and in reflection I think I learned that I can't force an idea or concept on anyone.  I'd like to think that together, Jason and I planned and attempted to give our students a lot of choice throughout the whole process.  However, due to something that I can't say I have the answer to, the experience ultimately wasn't as easy and fulfilling as I thought it would be.  Maybe it is because we needed to keep things more simple, improve our time management, and create lesson plans that constantly kept the students involved.  Or, maybe it was because the mix of kids in the class led to a-lot of apathy, trepidation around taking artistic risks, and a sense (that as much as I try and teach ensemble) they didn't all trust each and get along.

I don't think Jason and I can blame ourselves for all of it, I actually think some of it was out of our control.  Thinking ahead though, we have already started to reflect on what we could change and come up with different ways we could approach our next middle school group.  If we were to do this again we would keep things simple, structure our plans in a way that allows everyone in the room to succeed and cross our fingers that with the right amount of focus on teamwork our ensemble will trust each other and therefore be willing to fail in order to learn and create in a healthy fashion.

Jason Roebke: I haven't focused this much on the inquiry question this diligently before but I'm glad we did. By continuously going back to the inquiry question, Mr. Landis and I were able to teach a class and give the students some valuable skills despite a few dominating and resistant voices. I think the inquiry question eventually transformed and became more interesting. Although it may have been a bit advanced for these kids, I think the students will be able to benefit from the work we did on social conflict during the class. It was great to witness Mr. Landis leading a high level theater class for middle school students. I learned to have high expections of the students. I hope that I will be able to manage student personalities better so that all of the students can get more equal voice in the classroom.

CHRIS:  I have learned from Jason that grappling with problems and hard questions is good for producing art.  In anchoring the work under a "Big Idea" and leading every class with inquiry questions takes the onus off of creating a "final product," and in return puts the emphasis on the experience of creation and exploration.

JASON:

I have not been brave enough so far to get to the end of a CAPE project without a final product but this time it might have been appropriate. We did have success in the end but the short exercises that we created earlier in the unit were even more engaging for the students. Classroom management skills for teaching artists are important and I need to know more about it. 

LANDIS: Since our collaboration for this project was done during school time I approached the assessment in the same way I do for all of my drama classes.  We used pre- assessment to get an understanding of what the students knew about politics and performing arts.  Then through out the 16 weeks we worked together we presented the class with both formal and informal assessment.   Some examples of classwork, assessments and projects are as follows:

• Students filled out pre and post assessment forms from C.A.P.E

• Students Journaled

• Used graphic organizers to track their production notes

• Created, performed in various ways and were graded using a rubric

• Exit tickets

CHRIS

I had hoped to learn how to blend music, theatre and film together to create a devised production that reflected on middle school students understanding/interest in politics and the similarities found in the performing arts.

I learned that less is more.  I believe we took on a lot and therefore found ourselves cramming at the end to create a final product and ultimately, the students missed out on some of the experience, such as editing a film and  a fully realized rehearsal process.  

Also, we tried to give every student a role in either acting or in tech and production (director, cinematographer, lights, props, and costumes), but sometimes each role didn't require the students to be actively engaged at all times.  We quickly were reminded that when students don't have something to work on they get bored or find ways to entertain themselves, which can be problematic with a group of 30 kids in one classroom.

We supported each others goals in many ways.  A few examples are that Jason helped me understand underscoring performance with music and he edited the film.  I think I helped him better understand the teaching side of the experience such as lesson plans, classroom management, delivering content, and assessment.

JASON

My goals for this collaboration were to provide students with the tools to work together to create an art work and to learn teaching techniques from a experienced classroom teacher. I wanted to observe how students can feel comfortable and confident in making art at school.