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YCIS sets the stage for life
November 24, 2010, Wednesday
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FROM the Rime of the Ancient Mariner to avant-garde Japanese Butoh, Yew Chung International School of Shanghai (YCIS Shanghai) theater and drama teacher Beveley Polson draws from her extensive knowledge and passion to make drama come alive for students at the Gubei campus.
The YCIS Shanghai drama program is part of both the International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) and International Baccalaureate (IB) programs, targeting students from Years 10 to 13.
In Year 9, Polson starts students with activities to put them in the right mindset. "We try silly things to break down students' inhibitions. It doesn't matter if you make a mistake. You have to leave your ego at the door."
The drama class at YCIS Shanghai develops both acting skills and a practical understanding of human relations. "It's not just about play reading," explains Polson. "As well as the basic tools and techniques, drama gives the pupils a way to make sense of the world, to learn how they can deal with real-life dramas."
Starting the students with the basics of drama - speech and articulation, comedy and Greek theater - Polson incorporates modern themes and issues into the program. Issues of morality, the environment, harmony and rights are woven throughout the curriculum.
A session on the Greek classic Antigone includes a reference to US civil rights heroine Rosa Parks. Polson uses the lesson to challenge her class: "Antigone makes the sacrifice to her brother. Would you stand up for what you believe in?" The class looks at the deeper issues and considers the moral aspects while learning the technical elements of Greek theater.
Polson herself is a performer, writer and director. She wrote her first drama when she was eight. Drama has always been the focus of her life. "It's a passion," she says.
Dramas are often performed at YCIS Shanghai on days of social significance. For Armistice Day, the Year 12 students wrote and acted an original play. "500 people left the auditorium in silence, some of them crying. Drama is a very powerful method for getting a message across," explains Polson.
At the IB level, Theater in the World is a component of the curriculum that aligns closely with YCIS Shanghai's global education philosophy. Students have worked on everything from Shakespeare soliloquies to Italian Commedia dell'Arte and German Theater of Protest. Watching students from all over the world work together to script, block, direct and perform is especially rewarding for Polson.
The YCIS Shanghai Gubei campus also has a new Black Box Theater to support the drama program, complete with professional lighting and sound systems.
"It feels like drama," says Polson. "It has made a difference and the pupils feel they have to earn the right to perform on stage."
The YCIS Shanghai drama program is part of both the International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) and International Baccalaureate (IB) programs, targeting students from Years 10 to 13.
In Year 9, Polson starts students with activities to put them in the right mindset. "We try silly things to break down students' inhibitions. It doesn't matter if you make a mistake. You have to leave your ego at the door."
The drama class at YCIS Shanghai develops both acting skills and a practical understanding of human relations. "It's not just about play reading," explains Polson. "As well as the basic tools and techniques, drama gives the pupils a way to make sense of the world, to learn how they can deal with real-life dramas."
Starting the students with the basics of drama - speech and articulation, comedy and Greek theater - Polson incorporates modern themes and issues into the program. Issues of morality, the environment, harmony and rights are woven throughout the curriculum.
A session on the Greek classic Antigone includes a reference to US civil rights heroine Rosa Parks. Polson uses the lesson to challenge her class: "Antigone makes the sacrifice to her brother. Would you stand up for what you believe in?" The class looks at the deeper issues and considers the moral aspects while learning the technical elements of Greek theater.
Polson herself is a performer, writer and director. She wrote her first drama when she was eight. Drama has always been the focus of her life. "It's a passion," she says.
Dramas are often performed at YCIS Shanghai on days of social significance. For Armistice Day, the Year 12 students wrote and acted an original play. "500 people left the auditorium in silence, some of them crying. Drama is a very powerful method for getting a message across," explains Polson.
At the IB level, Theater in the World is a component of the curriculum that aligns closely with YCIS Shanghai's global education philosophy. Students have worked on everything from Shakespeare soliloquies to Italian Commedia dell'Arte and German Theater of Protest. Watching students from all over the world work together to script, block, direct and perform is especially rewarding for Polson.
The YCIS Shanghai Gubei campus also has a new Black Box Theater to support the drama program, complete with professional lighting and sound systems.
"It feels like drama," says Polson. "It has made a difference and the pupils feel they have to earn the right to perform on stage."
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