As a result of coronavirus restrictions, Playhouse on the Square’s (POTS) Department of Theatre Education has temporarily halted various outreach programs that meet in person at Mid-South area schools.
But offering an enriching educational experience continues to be a crucial part of POTS’ mission. As a result, its education department has created play-shop <online>, a virtual learning program for students in grades K-12. The program is available online, on-demand through the streaming platform Showtix4U.com.
According to POTS, play-shop <online> is a series of virtual drama workshops that can be shared with students in the classroom or during in-home education. Lessons include learning how to sew on a button, design a set, write a play, or how to warm up their voices for the stage, in addition to historical lessons about how the Greeks originally staged plays and the birth of musical theater.
The program’s available videos range from dance to puppetry, stage management to theater history, and are 20 to 30 minutes in length. Accompanying workshop handouts with supply lists, pre- and post-activities, and discussion options will engage teachers and students beyond the videos.
Workshop options are priced for small, medium, and large class sizes, and the Tennessee Arts Commission Ticket Subsidy program can be used to purchase the workshops. Information regarding ticket subsidy can be found here: playhouseonthesquare.org.
Educators or parents interested in purchasing a workshop should contact Jason Gerhard, POTS director of theatre education, by phone at (901) 937-6475 or email to jason@playhouseonthesquare.org.
For more information on play-shop <online>, visit playhouseonthesquare.org.