Experiential Learning...

Course Overview

Students engage in an intensive exploration of theatre through experiential learning, preparing and producing short productions, observing productions, and exploring all areas of theatre in a hands-on environment.  Put simply, the IB Theatre Arts course sets as its goal that any candidate will learn "something about everything and everything about something."  Students explore acting, directing, technical theatre, the business of theatre, and other areas, dabbling in all and selecting an area or areas of interest on which to concentrate for more in depth examination.

It is crucial to understand that IB Theatre Arts course remains a rigorous academic course despite its exciting hands-on activity.  Student performance (in both onstage and offstage capacities) within class productions is assessed stringently as a significant portion of regular grading.  Students also regularly write critical reviews of productions they have experienced from an audience perspective and develop production notebooks detailing their creative vision for original productions of plays read in class and on their own.

In addition to a robust understanding of the theatre arts and the ability to serve as a skilled practitioner in the field, successful candidates of the higher level program are often able to convert that experience into college credit or advanced placement in theatre courses once in college.

Assessment

There are four assessments that contribute to a candidate's overall score in IB Theatre Arts.  Overall, they are outstandingly palatable and, at times, even fun - in keeping with the focus on experiential learning, they involve, at all times, creativity and actual practice of  the theatre arts.

Enrollment

This class is open to all juniors (it is taken in the junior AND senior year for higher level candidates, or the junior OR senior year for standard level candidates).  IB diploma candidates may use the higher level IB Theatre Arts class to help fulfill their requirements for HL courses.  Any student, IB or non-IB, may apply to take this course, although enrollment is granted to IB candidates first, and non-IB candidates are accepted only upon demonstration of potential aptitude and committment (non-IB students wishing to take this course are highly recommended to first take Drama I / II as an underclassman as a prerequisite).  For more details, contact course instructor Mr. Hipius, IB program coordinator Mr. Cosgrove, or IB guidance counselor Ms. McElroy.