Theatre, the imagined and enacted world of human beings, is one of the primary ways children learn about life -- about actions and consequences, about customs and beliefs, about others and themselves. They learn through their social pretend play and from hours of viewing television and film. Children use pretend play as a means of making sense of the world; they create situations to play and assume roles; they interact with peers and arrange environments to bring their stories to life; they direct one another to bring order to their drama, and they respond to one another's dramas.

In theatre, the artists create an imagined world about human beings; it is the role of the actor to lead the audience into this visual, aural, and oral world. Students in the Lawrence Public Schools learn to see the created world of theatre through the eyes of the playwright, actor, designer, and director. Through active creation of theatre, students learn to understand artistic choices and to critique dramatic works.  They will use drama as a means of confidently expressing their world view, thus developing their "personal voice." The subject also introduces students to plays that reach beyond their communities to national, international, and historically representative themes.

In grades 7-12, students in the Lawrence Public Schools have the opportunity to view and construct dramatic works. By creating, performing, analyzing, and critiquing dramatic performances, they develop a deeper understanding of personal issues and a broader worldview that includes global issues. Since theatre in all its forms reflects and affects life, students experience representative dramatic texts and performances and the place of that work and those events in history.

To learn more about our theater and drama offering in the Lawrence Public School follow the links to the right.