Catalogue of Critical Creativity

Creating with Words - Phrankenword

This would be a fun activity to use when teaching students about theatre history, dramaturgy, or about other drama terms. Defining the new words and playing around with them to make new words could help them solidify their research or learning. Additionally, we could try to use the new words in skits or other performance activities.

Creating with Images - ImagED

Using this activity in a lesson on theme, storytelling, theatre marketing, or when exploring a specific work would be useful. Using images to tell a story or synthesize ideas would help them learn simplicity and effective communication, which is vital in many areas of drama. 

Creating with Sounds – Playlist a Life

I love this activity! This would be such a fun activity to use when doing character work and trying to develop empathy for characters, or it would even be exciting to do this activity when learning about important figures in theatre history (playwrights, designers, directors) and identifying important elements of their impact on theatre. 

Creating with the Body – Dallowinian Party

Holding a “dinner party” with students acting as characters inspired by different styles of theatre, different directors, different plays, etc. would be a really fun way to help them learn to embody characters/develop empathy, apply knowledge of different types of theatre, and demonstrate their understanding of a script or other drama concept. 

Creating with Stuff – Metaphorical Architecture

I love this activity, too! This would be especially fun to use in a unit on scenic design (or design in general—maybe trying it with costume designs!) because it would encourage students to think about themes, ideas, motifs, etc. present in a work and how they can represent those physically and visually for an audience. 

Creating with Social Media – Fauxial Media Profiles 

This would be a fun activity to get students empathizing with characters in a play, or to get them to really think about theatre history. They could create fake social media feeds for characters or historical figures, or we could even have them personify ideas, genres, or styles.