Customer Reviews

Planning Process Drama

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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.

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!