Creative Drama was introduced into the Evanston/Skokie school system in the 1920's by Winifred Ward, Northwestern University Professor and founder of the American Creative Drama Movement. For thirty years drama specialists trained by Miss Ward and her successors, Rita Criste, Barbara McIntyre and Anne Thurman taught drama to Evanston students in grades four through eight. Prior to the 1970's several pilot projects were developed and implemented in which talented and gifted primary and elementary students received drama instruction.
Recently, Northwestern University has partnered with District 65 for the last three years with their LITTT program. They hosted all District 65 third graders to see a production of "Frida Libre" this November. The students loved the live performance, lunch and they even had their own VIP passes. To give you an idea of this fantastic program click here.
This fall students have been using their creativity and working on important skills in drama class.
Fifth and fourth graders have been rehearsing and revising scenes using collaboration for the stories of Tom Sawyer and the Cherokee nation story of "How Grandmother Spider Stole the Sun". We are now starting a unit on improvisation to help them create original scenes.
Second and third graders have been planning and rehearse scenes with a partner or small group. Each student works to add ideas to the scene in stories such as the African folktale Ananse's Hat Dance, the Aesop's fable The Sun and the Wind and the migrant's tale Pancho Rabbit and the Coyote.
First grade and kindergartners have been creating characters using the actor's tools of body and voice. They have also are able to create their own play spaces and can understand the importance of having personal space. Both grades loved the story of the Three Rabbits Stuck in Honey. Kindergartners have been able to pantomime adventures of Dog and Cat. These are stories where students ideas make up some of the adventures.