Middle Mania: Imaginative Theater Projects for Middle School Actors (Young Actors Series) [Paperback]

Maureen Brady Johnson (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1575252546 | ISBN-13: 978-1575252544 | Publication Date: December 30, 2001 | Edition: 1

Middle Mania is a compilation of interactive, collaborative projects written for middle school teachers who spend a good part of their summer sifting through piles of plays in search of the perfect production to do with students. Middle Mania! offers many creative alternatives that are "drama healthy" for kids, providing every student with a chance to get involved. The projects challenge students to stretch their imagination while giving shy students a chance to build self-confidence. These projects introduce the exciting possibilities drama can provide, while building a friendly community atmosphere.

Editorial Reviews

Review

...best feature of the book is that the reader feels as if he or she is having a conversation with the author --Sue Krumbein - VOYA December 2002

About the Author

Maureen Brady Johnson has been a teacher and director of theatre for thirty years. Her imaginative teaching ideas have been featured in such publications as EDTA's "Teaching Theatre"; The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's newsletter, "Impact"; and in the NCTE's book, "Stands in Practice". She lives Oberlin, Ohio with her husband, three daughters, one son, and a cat.

Product Details

• Paperback: 140 pages
• Publisher: Smith & Kraus; 1 edition (December 30, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1575252546
• ISBN-13: 978-1575252544
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #392,519 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Maureen Brady Johnson has been teaching theatre for over thirty years. Her books, Middle Mania One and Two, Shoes on the Highway and Namely Me, are used by teachers from around the globe.
Her imaginative ideas have been published in EDTA's Teaching Theatre, The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum's newsletter, SEASONS, newsletter for the International Center for Women Playwrights and Instructor Magazine.
An award winning, published playwright, she won the Gregory Millard Memorial Playwriting Award for the play, The Treehouse, given by New York's TADA! Theatre.
Maureen received The Educational Theatre Association's Founders' Award. The award is presented to an individual who has made significant contributions to the growth and development of theatre education, research and practice. The award recognizes work that supports the principles and mission of the founders to promote and strengthen theatre education.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Review from THE BOOK REPORT, Sept./Oct. 2002, November 15, 2002

By 

Linda D. Behen, Dir. of Library Services, St.... (Cincinnati, Ohio) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Middle Mania: Imaginative Theater Projects for Middle School Actors (Young Actors Series) (Paperback)

Almost as soon as I began reading Johnson's book, I was thinking of individuals in our school with whom I could share it. Although it is written for theater teachers, it's useful for any teacher or administrator that might occasionally need an activity for community building. The book is written for middle school environments, but the ideas could easily be transformed for high schools or elementary schools as well. The chapters consist of seven different activities that promote involvement from all students, even the shyest, that are also fun for adult moderators. A few of the activities include Mask/Movement, Clan Drama: Solving a Mystery, and Rock `n' Roll Playwriting. Step-by-step instructions for developing and organizing the projects are broken down into chapter sections. I especially like the preface that summarizes each chapter and activity into single paragraphs. Following the activities, Johnson provides curriculum summaries, assignment sheets, grade assessment charts, and reflections on the book's projects. Every school should have at least one project. Highly Recommended.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun! Creative! What a relief!!, August 12, 2002

By 

Tammi Clancy (Colorado Springs, Colorado United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Middle Mania: Imaginative Theater Projects for Middle School Actors (Young Actors Series) (Paperback)

I teach middle school drama to 8th, 7th, and 6th grade every day! Approximately 600 students rotate through my curriculum each year! The activities presented in MIDDLE MANIA have prompted me to revamp my whole approach in teaching drama. They are fun, creative, easy to do and feel a lot less stressful than continually preparing for large-scale productions. What a gift! Thank you for sharing, Maureen!!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Essential!, October 10, 2008

By 

MusicTeacher (School!) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Middle Mania: Imaginative Theater Projects for Middle School Actors (Young Actors Series) (Paperback)

Drama got added to my music teaching schedule this school year and I had no idea what to do! I've never had a drama class in my life! This book saved me. The projects are interesting, fun, and involve the whole class. Better than that, the book spells out specifically what to assign when, things to watch out for in terms of management, and how to deal with assessment. I've seen lots of books with general ideas, but this book walks through projects day at a time with information about each piece.

This book is a real lifesaver. I recommend it for anyone teaching drama, especially if you are new to the field or if it's not your specialty.