Page 66 - spaces4learning, Fall 2023

spaces4learning THEATERS/PERFORMING ARTS
DESIGNING FOR THEATRICAL AND PERFORMING ARTS CURRICULUM IN SCHOOLS
By Matt LaRue, AIA
ENGAGING EACH STUDENT in relevant learning and providing offerings that spark interest have been ongoing challenges for educators. Getting a student out from behind a desk; having them work with others in a self-directed way; allowing them to explore and express themselves and make things; having them learn skills that can be applied in life and in possible career paths—those are goals behind today’s push to change how students learn, to get them to want to come to school every day. Education in the theatrical and performing arts promises much of these. Learning to perform or put on a production can be one of the most compelling experiences of a student’s educational career. What does a school need to make this possible? We will look at two new schools, a middle school and an upper school, to understand how programs and facilities can be designed for different age levels and curriculum approaches.
When the town of Weymouth, Mass., decided to combine their two existing middle schools into a single new building in 2018, the theater arts programs throughout the district were already popular and grow- ing. The town’s high-school theater program was known for putting on quality productions, consistently placing high in the Massachusetts Ed- ucational Theater Guild’s annual high-school drama festival. The exist- ing middle schools had a theater arts curriculum and after-school clubs but were hampered by their facilities. While both schools were fortunate to have large auditoriums, they lacked up-to-date and age-appropriate teaching space.
Understanding the
Middle-Schooler’s Mindset
One goal for Weymouth’s new Chapman Middle School was an inspir- ing theater arts classroom where middle-school students could thrive in a creative environment but still feel comfortable experimenting with performance. Participating in theater arts “allows students to get to know the stories of others and who we are personally. This requires opening up in front of each other. They need to feel they are in a safe
and judgement-free setting,” according to Donnie Nor- ton, Director of Theater with the Weymouth High The- ater Company.
Another goal was to enhance Weymouth’s middle school as a feeder for the elective and career-oriented programs at the high school. It was important for students to understand that this “space was designed for performance, not just a classroom where desks are pushed out of the way,” said Norton.
In response, the team designed a space that resembles a black box theater, but with the scale and feel of a classroom. The flooring is the same as that used on stages. Walls are painted black. The plan is flexible to accommodate desks, chairs and markerboards for instructional functions, or can be arranged with risers, props and curtains. A wall of mirrors is useful for choreography. The double-height room is outfitted with professional, positionable lighting and sound equipment. To provide experience with the “tech crew” side of productions, but with middle-school-aged safety in mind, a tension wire grid spans the space, accessed from a “back of house” spiral stair. In contrast to a traditional black box, the theater arts room has skylights for daylighting that can be controlled with motorized blackout shades. Interior windows into adjacent spaces
66 FALL 2023 | spaces4learning.com