Programs for Schools

creative drama

Students learn basic drama skills, including focus, motivation, place, character, conflict, and goals. Drama exercises get students actively involved within a social studies and/or literature context. Choose from: Exploration, American Expansion,  Colonial Life, Civil War, Literary America, Ancient Civilizations, The Industrial Revolution, or the theme of your choice. Empowers teachers and students to create, connect, perform, and respond using drama as a learning tool.

storytelling

Storyteller Karen De Mauro tailors a performance with audience participation to suit your theme. She can also create participatory workshops to enhance responsive connection to the inner meanings of myth and story. Choose from a broad repertoire that includes Native American sources, Bilingual Tales of Diversity and Depth, Poetry Pilgrimages, Environmental Icons, Medieval Legends, Tall Tales and American Lore, Greek and Roman Myths, and Story Journeys. 

PUBLIC SPEAKING

This dynamic workshop introduces students to public speaking basics and increases their confidence by building their skills. The exercise-rich group session provides them with practical experiences in a supportive environment. The workshop teaches focus, eye contact, vocal variety, phrasing and conducting audience attention. Students learn to prepare connect and perform works for National History Day, School Assemblies, Science Fairs, Graduations, and more.

nature and new york

Form vital connections with local places through experiential activities. Through a combination of natural history writing, historic source materials, storytelling, music and theatre games, Director Karen De Mauro guides students to a deeper awareness of the natural resources and wonders of their home environment. This multi-arts workshop can include a nearby or schoolyard mini field study as well as a presentations by De Mauro's colleagues from local environmental groups.

create your own musical

Create your own musical on the topic of your choice. In just 10 days, Karen De Mauro and 100 children write an original musical based on your curriculum and perform it for parents (and school, if desired).  Themes include Social Studies such as The Colonies, Exploration, The Civil War, and Environmental Visionaries, as well as Language Arts related issues. Original music is composed by Broadway musical director, Steven M. Alper.  Length:  10 days

Rachel Carson's sense of wonder

This dynamic, interactive one-woman with Karen De Mauro show uses letters, stories and music to explore writer Rachel Carson's environmental crusade. This 2-day participatory musical involves up to 50 student performers onstage and was originally created for Acadia National Park. In the participatory workshop, students actively connect with and respond to environmental concerns through theater art, science, and writing exercises.  

Using Drama to teach Curriculum

This professional development workshop trains teachers and staff to use creative drama and visualization as means of teaching other subjects.  It emphasizes ways to adjust theatre games to suit individual teaching styles.  The "Presentation Skills Workshop" gives teachers tools to train students in public speaking. Both provide exercises for immediate use in the classroom, "ready-to-use" lesson plans, and follow-up materials.

Mindfulness IN MOTION

The ability to focus attention is essential to success in school, life, and the arts. In each session, students are introduced to a blend of visualization, guided story, breath, and bodywork. Short teaching stories and fables from diverse cultures connect exercises to curriculum content. The workshop blends stillness and motion to give students tools to cultivate inner and outer awareness, navigate personal and physical space, and build healthy relationships with themselves and others.

RELATE AND CREATE

Identifying and handling emotions and complex behaviors is just the first step in movement towards genuine community. These sessions use a range of techniques like group dynamics, conflict resolution, and improvisational theater to investigate curriculum content. Role playing and best practices from businesses and schools give students essential people skills. The program is designed to address Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) and align with Next Generation Learning Standards.

Creative Collaboration

Tap into the synergy of the collaborative process to create events with The Acting Center’s professional colleagues and partners. Karen De Mauro directs, performs, participates and facilitates community arts, educational, and business projects with CDM Healthcare. The Walt Whitman Birthplace, North Shore Land Alliance, and Irondale Theatre. Her mission to “activate the art in everyone” lives at the heart of each collaboration, from coaching large scale Graduations Ceremonies to teachers, preachers, and people of all ages, stages and places.

Poetry and art

Poets and artists from Blake to Basho have explored ways to create dynamic conversations between words and art. This introductory multi-arts workshop for student writers and artists guides them through demonstrations and experiments with paint and print, spoken word and story. Interactive Exercises show how to compose pages that move back and forth between images and text. Visualization and dialogue clarify choices that combine art and words in mutually reinforcing ways. And practical tools and techniques along with exemplary artists, inspire then to make meaningful connections that shape their own work.

Words and art

The combination of words and art brings a new form of expression to both. This live or online program for grades 5-12 students gives them the tools to create multi-arts sketches. Interactive exercises show how to compose pages that move back and forth between images and text. Visualization and dialogue clarify choices that combine art and words in mutually reinforcing ways. Examples of artists who blend images and word well combine with practical techniques to inspire students to connect in a meaningful way to the times we live in.

Finding Your Voice Telling your Story

Discover dynamic ways to present with professional coaches and collaborators with an engaging dynamic Multi- Arts approach.  Co-create a program to address the specific needs of your school and community.  Start out with creative self-expression in classrooms, training centers, and stages to learn skills essential to effective public presentation.  Practice in a supportive environment of focused fun and productivity. 

Discover how teachers, students, parents, and organizations help shape your story.

CIVICS: A MULTI- ARTS APPROACH TO ENGAGED CITIZENSHIP

Participation and communication are key to and active, informed and heartfelt citizenship. Visual art-making, expressive theatre games like role plays and interviews prompt student expression and understanding of what it means to contribute to community in creative, responsible way.  

The program approaches 4-8th grade civics curriculum topics like the branches of government, voting, and balance of power, to encourage respectful civil conversation and expression. 

CONNECT:  CLUES AND CUES FOR ENGAGED INTERACTION

Interactive classroom discussion, engaged presentation, full attention, and thoughtful interpretation of content are at the heart of this classroom session.  Our distracted, fast paced world of data, online presentation, sound bites and glut of visual information has left many students unable to “talk like a human” and “act like a real person”.  This participatory workshop focuses on live communication skills, student-led conversations, reading nonverbal signals, and picking up auditory cues to bring science, history, and the arts to life. 

 All of our programs are aligned with New York State Next Generation Learning Standards and ascribe to the SEL Framework