Creative Dramas: Picture the Possibilities

Step 2: Choose interesting, familiar topic

Specific questions to consider in selecting a topic or theme are provided by Purcell (1990):

a. Is the theme related to events and experiences that are common to the learners?

b. Is the theme appropriate to the socioeconomic and cultural background of the learners?

c. Is the theme associated with images that are developmentally appropriate?

The essence of the questions is to consider common events students experience in their lives at school, at home, and in the community. Then teachers can ensure that those events are depicted through images that are appropriate to the learner's backgrounds and developmental levels. Remember that, while the substance of the drama should be familiar, ideally students should not have acted out the ideas before. Unless, of course, the objective is to first have students portray a readily familiar story, and then work toward portraying less familiar experiences. Ritson (1986) outlines a systematic approach that shifts learners from imitating readily familiar movements, to gradually composing unique movements.