Archive for the ‘Theater’ Category
Arts Assessment for Learning: Part II
October 23, 2011Karen Montanaro: Performing Artist and Movement Specialist and Door Prizes
Karen Montanaro
It was so great having Karen participate in the conference during the closing session – YAHOO time! Karen had everyone up on their feet moving and feeling the beat provided by music educator Mike Davis on his handmade drum. It was the frosting on the cake at the end of the day when teachers were ready to get their blood moving. Karen’s experience working with children and adults of all ages has given her many wonderful opportunities. She has participated in the National Dance Institute and they’ve posted a video on the front page of their website that you can view by clicking here.
Also during the closing session we gave out numerous door prizes. Below are the businesses and organizations that provided gifts. A GREAT BIG THANK YOU for their generous giving!
- Maine Music Educators Association – One free registration to the May 17-19, 2012 In-Service Conference at UMaine – Michelle Kaschub, President
- Maine Art Education Association – One year membership – value $30.00 – Sandy Brennan, President
- Steve Muise, Mt. Blue Music Educator, cd of his Acadian Band “Boreal Tordu”
- Bangor Symphony Orchestra – Two pairs of single concert tickets – Lucas Richman, Music Director and Conductor
- Portland Symphony Orchestra – 2 tickets for Magic of Christmas – Robert Moody, Music Director
- Mt. Abram Resort, 308 Howe Hill Road, P.O. Box 189, Greenwood – 2 Ski passes, Kevin Rosenberg, General Manager
- DiMillo’s Floating Restaurant, 25 Long Wharf, Portland – $50 gift certificate, Steve DiMillo, General Manager
- Samoset Resort, 220 Warrenton Street, Rockport – Lunch for two – Connie Russell, General Manager
- York Harbor Inn, 480 York Street, York Harbor – Sunday brunch for two – Gary Dominguez, Proprieter
- Sea Dogs Brewing Co., 26 Front Street, Bangor – two-$25 gift certificates –
- Havanna South Restaurant, 44-50 Wharf Street, Portland, $75 gift certificate – Jayme Merrill, General Manager
- David’s Restaurant, 22 Monument Square, Portland – $25 gift certificate – David Turin, Chef
- Association of Computer Technology Educators of Maine ACTEM – various items
- Farnsworth Art Museum, Rockland, One-year family membership
- Penobscot Theatre, Bangor, show tickets
- Maine Learning Technology Institute, 2 gelaskins
Jillaine McGough and winner of the Bangor Symphony Orchestra tickets Allysa Anderson
York Harbor Inn gift certificate winner Jane Higgins
A HUGE THANK YOU to Jillaine McGough for gathering the door prizes for the conference!
Maine Educational Theatre Conference
September 3, 2011Maine EdTA
Maine Educational Theatre Conference, October 14 at USM Russell Hall, Gorham. Maine EdTA is a chapter of the national organization that sponsors the INternational Thespian Society, a drama honor society for high school and middle school students. Although Maine has had Thespian Society troupes for 30 to 40 years, the state chapter organization in their support was organized just three years ago. This will be our fourth annual conference at USM.
The conference will consist of workshops led by working professionals in southern Maine. Students are invited to perform monologues, short scenes or songs for adjudication to earn an invitation to perform at the International Thespian Festival in Nebraska in June. Maine EdTA will also award a college scholarship of $1,000 to a worthy student selected through an application process and an interview at the conference.
For the last two years, the conference has hosted about 175 students from across the state. The conference is open to all students from Maine high schools. Information about the conference is available at http://www.northeastedta.org/Maine.html or by contacting Rick Osann, the state Chapter Director, at rosann@bonnyeagle.org.
Middle School Theater Classes
August 13, 2011Troy Howard Middle School
Jason Bannister will be one of the few middle school theater arts teachers in the Maine Public School system this fall. Bannister, who taught 4th grade and 7th/8th ELA for the last 8 years, will be teaching theater arts full time to all 7th/8th graders at Troy Howard Middle School. In the past, students at THMS took visual art all three years (6th-8th), along with music 7/8. They were not taught theater arts, as required in the Maine Learning Results. With Bannister teaching theater arts, students will have the special opportunity to meet standards in music, art and theater during their 3 years at the middle school.
Bannister, who has a B.A. in Theater and M.A.T. in Education, is very excited to be teaching theater to the kids. He will be able to bring his experience as a professional actor into the classroom. As a former ELA teacher he will be able to work with the other academics in the school to incorporate their curriculum into the class, using their ‘texts’ in performance. With the stage right next door to his new, large classroom
space, Bannister hopes to offer many different activities, including acting, stagecraft, writing, filmmaking, and dance.
In addition to the class, Bannister also directs the school’s drama club, Center Stage Ensemble. Under his tutelage the club performs a fall play, a winter musical, and hosts the newly created Maine Student Acting Competition. The MSAC offers middle school students from around the state a day-long acting/singing/dancing tournament. In its first year in 2011, the MSAC had five schools competing, with around 30 competitors. Next year Bannister looks to double that. Anyone interested in learning more about
the MSAC can go to http://mainesac.wordpress.com/ or email jbannister@rsu20.org. You can also learn more about THMS’s drama club at http://thmsdrama.wordpress.com/ and Jason Bannister’s classroom at
http://thms.rsu20.org/performingarts/.
Co-teaching Made a Difference
June 21, 2011This post was submitted by Mary O’Brien and Katharine Ayer who were part of the Title II-D Open Educational Resource grant for integrated arts education that was administered by Syntiro. Therese Bernier-Burns was the project manager and did an outstanding job encouraging and supporting the teachers who were involved. This is the first in a series of posts on the work the teams did who collaborated.
The Women of Pakistan
This past school year Manchester Elementary School teachers: Ms. Ayer, art teacher and Mrs. O’Brien, third grade teacher co-taught an integrated unit based on the book Listen to the Wind, by Greg Mortenson. We were inspired by the beautiful collage illustrations by Susan L. Roth and the incredible story of friendship, helping those in need, and peace. Our integrated unit focused on learning about a different country and culture, retelling a story, creating a collage background and puppet characters, and acting out the retelling. By using the co-teaching model of instruction we were able to integrate art, social studies, reading, writing, and technology. Our students gained greater perspective of the lesson because of this integration.
Co-teaching between a classroom teacher and art teacher allowed students to benefit from the visual and kinetic involvement of creating puppets and collage backgrounds related to the story. The puppets and the collage background increased their awareness of the geography and culture of the region. The use of puppets to learn about another culture made it seem real to each student. This hands-on experience of creating helped them to learn deeply as they took ownership of the project and embodied their character.
The integration of technology is highly motivating to students. Ongoing throughout this project the students took digital photographs and video taped their progress. The use of VoiceThreads allowed students to express their ideas easily. This co-teaching experience reaffirmed that students want to work on projects that they view as important and making a difference in the world. Young people benefit from feeling empowered to make decisions, be responsible, and create in a non threatening environment.
Co-teaching works well because students gain additional perspective having two teachers involved in the same learning project. Each teacher brings their own specialty to the lesson. In addition, if there are two teachers in room it is easier to engage all students. Our only hesitation is that the specialist and classroom teacher need to have common planning time.
Student Acting Competition a Success
May 9, 2011Student Acting Competition is a Success!
The first ever Maine Student Acting Competition was held on April 30 at
Troy Howard Middle School in Belfast. Nearly 40 middle schoolers competed
from Belfast, Bucksport, Lincolnville, North Haven, and Medomak. Events
included solo acting (comedy and drama), duo acting (comedy and drama),
and solo/duo musical. Belfast took home 1st place overall, with Medomak
2nd and Lincolnville 3rd.
Plans are already being made for next year’s MSAC, which will again be
hosted by Troy Howard Middle School. It will be in January 2012, with
similar categories, as well as group acting and musical. There may also be
a new division for high schoolers. For more information, contact MSAC
coordinator Jason Bannister at jbannister@rsu20.org or visit
mainesac.wordpress.com.
In Today’s News
April 26, 2011Middle School acting competition
Tanya Mitchell has written an article for the Village Soup on the middle school acting competition scheduled for this Saturday, April 30th, at Troy Howard Middle School in Belfast. Several area middle school students are participating. Read more by clicking here.
Troy Howard Middle School drama students Ethan Campbell and Tina Hill in 'Thoroughly Modern Millie"
Maine Student Acting Competition
April 22, 2011Troy Howard Middle School in Belfast
Thanks to middle school teacher Jason Bannister for providing this post.
The first ever Maine Student Acting Competition will be held Saturday, April 30, from 9-5 at Troy Howard Middle School in Belfast. The middle school acting and singing tournament is the brainchild of Jason Bannister, English and Drama teacher at Troy Howard, as well as the drama club advisor.
The Maine Student Acting Competition offers students the opportunity to perform scenes, monologues, and musical theater numbers in front of an audience, compete against their peers, and receive constructive feedback on prepared theatrical material. The goal for participating students is to find their talent, strengths, and weaknesses and to be another tool to help them grow as theatre artists.
The participants compete in 2 rounds of up to six events. They are ranked in each round, and the top ranked competitors move on to the finals, which is performed, on stage, in front of everyone. It is a great opportunity for kids, who love acting and singing in front of a crowd, to pick their own material and share their talents to the world!
This is the first year of the MSAC. Jason Bannister has spoken to over 20 middle schools along the mid-coast, from Bangor to Tenants Harbor. While
there is an overwhelming interest in competing in the future, this year’s
tournament will see Belfast, Bucksport, Lincolnville, North Haven, and
Medomak compete in individual and team events (complete with trophies and bragging rights). With the success of this year, Bannister hopes more
middle schools will gather together their young, enthusiastic actors and
singers and register to compete next year!
If you would like to learn more about the Maine Student Acting Competition, you can contact Jason Bannister at Troy Howard Middle School (207-338-3320 x118) or email him (jbannister@rsu20.org). You are also
welcome to attend the competition and see what it’s all about! (it’s free)
Directions to Troy Howard Middle School
From Rt. 3 in Belfast get on Route 1 as if you were headed south toward
Rockland. At the intersection of Route 1 and Route 52 (This is where
AthenaHealth/Hannaford are and there is a traffic light) turn right and
head down Route 52 about 1 mile. The school is on the right just after the
YMCA. From the South on Rt. 1 the intersection of 1 and 52 is the first set of lights in Belfast. Turn left at intersection and school is about a half mile on right after the YMCA.
Moz’ART Group
April 21, 2011This is very wonderful (and funny)
The Moz’Art group is from Poland and they perform a bit off beat. Two segments include Bobby McFerrin. You can appreciate Music, Art, Dance, Theatre all in one. This would be great to share with students of any age!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLYgVbVRoqk
me arts ed 