The theater production class offers a unique opportunity for students with special needs by creating an inclusive way for students to learn about theater. In addition to analyzing plays and learning about the basics of theater, students put on four performances a year.
Theater teacher Brandi Perkins ensures that students have a safe and inclusive classroom environment by providing “soft spaces,” personal space, adaptive equipment and white boards for communication. The class also has three adults in the room, instead of just one teacher.
“In a safe and inviting environment, we take students of all levels and incorporate them into a performance class,” Perkins said.
The class watches movies and plays and analyzes them, as well as learns basic theatrical concepts, like props and staging. The students also play games and do fun activities while learning about theater. In the past, they have colored Julius Caesar comic books and learned about famous playwright William Shakespeare. Perkins does her best to make the class very engaging.
“I love, love, love our warm up to get them excited and vocal,” Perkins said. “We watch a quiz video at the beginning of class, and they are so excited when they know the answer, when they figure it out on their own.”
Glendaliz Ramos is Perkins’ co-teacher, and this is her first year teaching the theater production class. As an outsider to theater, she is learning along with the students. She likes that it offers a new class for students with special needs who have limited options for classes. They get to learn things they would not normally get to learn about in a fun way. For example, last year they did a play about Christmas traditions all around the world.
“I know throughout middle school, one of the things I hear a lot from parents is they’re consistently just, they’ve done art for the last couple years,” Ramos said. “And there’s nothing wrong with art, but I think this is a little change for them outside of their usual schedule.”
If they can get their schedules lined up, Perkins hopes she and orchestra director Evan Farmer can split the theater production class and add a musical element. If they are able to do so, this would add more opportunities for learning for students with special needs. Perkins also likes the idea of the class eventually rotating through even more fine arts classes
Courtney Neuwirth, the technical theater director, brought her technical theater class to see one of the theater production’s shows last year. They usually do well-known reader theater pieces, one of which is performed at the low-stress graduation, the graduation ceremony for students with special needs who can not attend regular graduation.
“I think it teaches a lot of really valuable skills in a practical way, but also a low stakes way most of the time, which helps them get more comfortable,” Neuwirth said. “But I definitely think they’re great skills that they’re learning: communication and collaboration.”
