Theater and the Power to Create

Funded Feb 4, 2022

When I took over the drama program at Noble High School, it quickly became apparent that one of our biggest needs was more tools and materials for set building. When we did our fall play, I had to rely on several different teachers in the building as well as parents to loan us what tools they had. This allowed us to do some of our own set work, but we were still largely outsourcing things which was not only inefficient but it also deprived my students of valuable hands-on learning opportunities. This generous grant allowed us to buy our own tools and streamline our set-building process while offering my very eager students the chance to take ownership and gain real-world skills.

My students were thrilled when we received our new tools. We were able to put them to use during our spring musical and do a lot of our own set building, which gave my students a sense of ownership and personal commitment to the show. Being able to use our own materials let students get even more creative and expand the bounds of their imaginations. Finally, it offered them the chance to learn practical skills that they can use regardless of their future paths. The best part, though, was getting to use the tools for our final project in stagecraft class. Students were tasked with building their own mini sets using found objects. They were able to use the tools to get really creative, and they had a blast experimenting with different objects and finding new ways to use them. One group made a space-themed set design and constructed their own moon that could be hung and backlit.

Moving forward, I plan to add to our inventory of tools and implement more classroom projects using them. Next year, my goal is for every student to have the chance to work with at least one tool and work on practical skills like measuring and basic building. We'll of course also continue to design and build our own sets in class, which will allow me to expand my curriculum. Getting our own power tools was one of the first goals I set for our drama program, and I'm very grateful for the generous funding that allowed us to bring it to fruition.”

With gratitude,

Mr. Dunkelberg