Planning Process Drama [Paperback]

Pamela Bowell (Author), Brian S. Heap (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1853467197 | ISBN-13: 978-1853467196 | Publication Date: April 12, 2001 | Edition: 1

Process drama is essentially improvisational and not based on a set script or 'story board'. As such, it plays an important part in creative 'drama-in-education' - yet there are very few books dedicated to making the approach accessible to specialist and non-specialist drama teachers alike. Distilled from their own practice with pre- and in-service teachers in Britain and the Caribbean, the authors; identify the principles of planning process drama; and illustrate them with a wide range of examples from across the age ranges.

This blending of universal principles with international practice will enable readers to plan and implement process drama work within their own curriculum brief.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Pamela Bowell is Principal Lecturer in Drama in Education at Kingston University, and Brian S. Heap is Staff Tutor in Drama at the Philip Sherlock Centre for the Creative Arts, University of the West Indies, Kingston, Jamaica.

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Routledge; 1 edition (April 12, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1853467197
• ISBN-13: 978-1853467196
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 7.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #523,234 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A precious resource for teachers, May 16, 2001

By 

Janet Johnson (KINGSTON Jamaica) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Planning Process Drama (Paperback)

As a teacher who believes in the possibility that education can help to transform a society, I have always wanted to use drama as a medium for my students to explore issues and concerns.

I never knew how to do this. All I knew was "I'm no good at drama. I couldn't act to save my life."

This book is written for people like me - I read it all in one go. Then I read it again slowly, working out how I would make a small start with just one class, in my next project.

What I find helpful is that, because they are writing from a depth and breadth of classroom experience, the authors are able to de-mystify the processes. They do not talk down to the reader however and the book is not just a "cookbook" of useful tips. Their advice is always grounded in educational theory and they make these foundations explicit.

Another helpful feature of their approach is that they attach the story of the development of three dramas in three different schools, to each chapter. These three stories are threaded through the entire book. As our understanding of the process grows, chapter by chapter, so the story of the three schools is gradually expanded, until at the end, the readers feel confident that this thing can work, they can try it for themselves.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Resource!!!, January 8, 2007

By 

Valerie A. Miller (Kalamazoo, MI) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Planning Process Drama (Paperback)

Process drama is a wonderful teaching tool that I use regularly as a teaching artist in the classroom. I find that it makes the lessons (and therefore the students) come alive and I know many teachers who use them regularly.
Cecily O'Neill's books are excellent resources for specific process dramas, and I recommend them as a starting place if you're new to process drama (especially Drama Structures), but Bowell's book provides a highly useful structured way of creating your own process dramas. She walks you through each step and asks you the questions you need to consider to create a successful process drama experience. A must for anyone interested in arts integration in the classroom!