1st Edition
Teaching Drama With, Without and About Gender Resources, Ideas and Lesson Plans for Students 11–18
This exciting new book offers practical resources and lesson plans for exploring gender in the drama curriculum. It looks at how theatre performances throughout history have played with the concept of identity and gender and explains why drama lessons can provide a safe and considerate space for thinking about gender.
Drawing on theatre history, world theatre, theatre forms and theatre theory, each chapter focuses on key topics that will challenge students to play and explore gender roles as they choose. Introducing a new drama vocabulary drawn from archaeology and cartography, this book includes a wide range of materials for excavation from traditional stories, contemporary children’s literature, Greek mythology, Elizabethan and Restoration theatre, Japanese and Chinese theatre, mask, and physical theatre.
Providing new insight into how existing drama units can be redefined to create a space where the exploration of gender identity is not only allowed but something exciting and joyful to focus on, this is an essential resource for all drama teachers.
Introduction Glossary 1. Tools and Equipment of Discovery 2. About Gender – Seeking Identity 3. Without Gender - Mask 4. With Gender - Theatre History 5. With Gender - World Theatre 6. Without Gender - The Body
Biography
Jo Riley, a graduate of Cambridge University, learnt Mandarin to study at the Central Academy of Drama in Beijing. With over 20 years’ international experience she has led workshops, published, translated and edited extensively on Chinese theatre, European theatre history and intercultural theatre. Her special focus is the kinetic language of bodies in space, and bodies as pictograms of an idea.
"With the topic of gender identity becoming very high profile in education, germane resources of theatre techniques to address this subject are few and far between. This manual embeds practical exploration of gender themes into those accessible, heuristic and relevant activities which vitalise the learning journey of a theatre student. This publication is an essential resource for every school, college or university department as a seminal handbook in the contemporary studies of theatre and gender."
Michał J. Pasternak FRSA FCCT, Examining Board Representative for IB DP group 6 the Arts. HLM International Schools Theatre Association [ISTA]
"In our rapidly changing and complex world, educators have a responsibility to place issues of diversity, equity and inclusion at the heart of their teaching. In order to authentically and meaningfully do so, we must educate ourselves, critically examine our practice and acquire the skills and tools required. What better way to do this than by learning from an experienced international theatre educator who models exemplary practice in the theatre classroom. Grounded in research, covering the full breadth of a theatre curriculum and brimming with practical exercises and activities, Teaching Drama With, Without and About Gender is both a must and a gift for all international theatre teachers."
Sally Robertson, Executive Director, International Schools Theatre Association
"A very practical guide for using drama as a learning process for questioning, re-imagining and re-affirming the complexities of identity. This book provides an essential toolkit and rationale for practising drama as the art form of being human in all its variety. Students will benefit from the openness of the learning approach and the opportunities through drama to safely challenge gendered pre-conceptions of identity and to imagine themselves differently."
Jonothan Neelands PhD, DSc, FRSA., Academic Director for Cultural Partnerships, University of Warwick
