Theatrefolk’s Top 10: Cross-Curricular Plays

Time for a Tfolk Top Ten Plays For….

Cross-curricular. Cross-curricular is a magic word for many admins and quite frankly there’s a good reason for that. Here in the 21st century we no longer live in an isolated world and students shouldn’t be taught in isolation. What we do in the drama classroom has always had implications outside of the drama classroom and it’s time to showcase that connection.

If you want students to increase their critical thinking skills, their communication skills, and their collaboration skills, reach out across department lines! You can do plays that will interest your history department, english department, social studies, technology and more.

Click the link and you’ll be taken to the webpage for each play. There you’ll get the details and read sample pages. Hand this list over to your student directors and see what they think.

All the best with your search!

The Myths at the Edge of the World
Four campers are not only lost in the wood, they are lost at the edge of the world with no land, water, stars or sun. Stories are the only way to bring life back and these stories come from all over: China, Africa, Native lore, and the Aztecs. Do you know the Myth of the Water Dragons? Or The Girl who Scattered the Stars?
Social studies connection: How do stories of other cultures strengthen our knowledge of that culture?
Read an excerpt and order now.

Almost History: that whole space time continuum thing
Through a space-time continuum thing middle school students livestream great moments in American history! Until things go wrong and the course of history changes. Learn in a fun way how the past affects the present.
Math connection: What is a space time continuum?
Read an excerpt and order now.

Ariadne’s Thread, The Adventures of Theseus and the Minotaur
Bring Greek mythology to life! A fantastic modern version of the Theseus and the Minotaur myth complete with an active chorus. Choral speaking, a twist on the traditional story and a lot of humour.
Music connection: Compare and contrast choral speaking to choral singing.
Read an excerpt and order now.

The Canterbury Tales
Chaucer’s classic collection of tales comes to life in a full-length adaptation. Great characters, lots of humour, and strong ensemble work. Text uses modern English.
History connection: What was life like for a pilgrim going to Canterbury? Who were the pilgrims?
Read an excerpt and order now.

Drum Taps
The poems in Drum Taps represent Walt Whitman’s first hand account of the Civil War. See the words, the emotion, the blood come to life in this theatrical adaptation. This is not your typical poetry reading. This is war.
Multiple connections: the history of the civil war, the math of what war costs, the science of medicine during the time period, the music of the time, the poetry of Whitman and more!
Read an excerpt and order now.

Mmmbeth
Let’s not forget Shakespeare. This adaptation is a great doorway to Shakespeare’s language and the story of the Scottish king. Our Shakespeare adaptations don’t stop there. We also have Drop Dead, Juliet (Romeo and Juliet), and Much Ado High School (Much Ado About Nothing).
English connection: Find out what Shakespeare plays your English department studies and coordinate a performance of that same play.
Read an excerpt and order now.

Frankenstein vs the Horrendous Goo
This play is a delight. Three dimensional characters, fabulous dialogue, and creative staging of a horrendous mutant polymer. Students, administrators and parents get “goo-ed” by a green slime with a mind of its own. Why is Frankenstein called into save the day?
Science connection: Task science classes to make the goo the characters have to fight in the play.
Read an excerpt and order now.

Virtual Family
In the Virtual Family, you don’t need to go outside, or do chores, or even have a real family. When technology takes away all your ills, conflicts, and concerns, you become a happier human being. Right?
Technology connections: The easy access that technology brings provides great questions across the curriculum – does technology make you a happier person? Why or why not?
Read an excerpt and order now.

The Gift
In this play the main character goes through a transformation after she sees what happens to her family once her father loses his business. A wonderful holiday play inspired by The Gift of the Magi.
Economic connections: What are the economics of a business going bankrupt? What is the state of the economy for small businesses right now? Where will the economy be in the next five years?
Read an excerpt and order now.

Split
Teenagers navigate the winding road of divorce in this honest and theatrical look at the day to day reality of growing up in a family that’s been torn apart.
Guidance connections: Issue plays have a lot of cross-curricular opportunities because students are dealing with a multitude of those same issues every day. Issue plays offer an opportunity for discussion, discovery, and growth beyond the walls of the classroom
Read an excerpt and order now.