playS and MuSicalS - Contemporary Drama Service

How Theatre Began
by NANCY FORDERER
An introduction to the history of drama
DVD: $29.95
Order #R-DV02
The theatre of today — TV, movies and stage — where
and how did it all begin? What role did theatre play in
the cultural history of the West? Why has theatre
evolved to what it is today? Beginning with Greek
drama and continuing through Roman, Medieval,
Renaissance, French, Spanish, English and American
forms, this program gives an overview of how modern
theatre came to be. The great playwrights, trends and
artistic styles are briefly described to give the student a
general understanding of both the history and cultural
importance of theatre. A very adaptable reference item
for library and classroom use. The playing time is 20
minutes.
Break a Leg!
by ADREA GIBBS
An introductory guide to stage directing
DVD with workbook: $34.95
Order #R-DV16
How do you stage a successful play? Where does it all
begin? Who does what? Adrea Gibbs explains the role
of everyone in a production: the director, the stage
manager, the music director, the choreographer, the
lighting designer, the sound designer, the set designer,
and the costume designer. She talks about the best way
to conduct auditions and how to do the final casting.
She explains how to decide the main thrust of the play,
which will affect the work of everyone on the staff. She
talks about stage sets, blocking, and how to direct the
actor to create a believable character. She provides
valuable advice on scheduling rehearsals and being
ready in every way for opening night. You’ll want
everyone on your staff to view this DVD so that each
staff member will understand how their role fits into the
total production. The playing time is 40 minutes.
Theatre Arts DVDs
Getting Your Kicks!
by ADREA GIBBS
A beginner’s guide to choreography
DVD with workbook: $34.95
Order #R-DV06
www.contemporarydrama.com • toll-free 800-937-5297 • toll-free 24-hour fax 888-594-4436
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Everything you need on one DVD! For the first time, stage
choreography has been simplified so any beginner can
visually learn all the essentials in one viewing! This DVD
and workbook set makes a superb toolkit for building
confidence in untrained dancers and teaching them the
basics they need to participate in a choreographed dance
number for any musical show. A convenient interactive
menu of nine sections allows the user to see the step-bystep
action over and over again as needed. The DVD
shows young performers doing musical counting in action
to fit both simple and advanced dance routines and musical
styles. Dancer/narrator Adrea Gibbs demonstrates how to
add style to any dance pattern with body and hand
movements. She defines the action of fun dance steps from
the Charleston to the Shim Sham. An incomparable
resource for creating an endless number of choreographic
combinations. The playing time is 45 minutes.
Theatre Games – DVD
by ADREA GIBBS
A collection of exercises for
developing acting skills
DVD with workbook: $34.95
Order #R-DV17
How do you actually set up a theatre game? And how
do you actually play it? There are many books on the
subject that describe theatre games, some even show
illustrations. But the only way to really understand how
a theatre game works is to see it in action. In a
workshop setting, Adrea Gibbs directs students of all
ages in a series of creative games for learning acting
skills. Skills include: Imagination, Observation,
Emotional Expressiveness, Listening, Teamwork,
Trust, Improvisation, Scene Structure and
Development, Focus, Confidence and more. Over
fifteen games and variations are demonstrated
including: Name Game, Animal Farm, A Simple
Piece of Fabric, Emotion Tag, Mime Alley,
Improv Starters, The Bench, Concentration, The
Orchestra, This Is A … and more. An excellent
resource for learning basic acting skills. The playing
time is 90 minutes.