Supplies and Equipment Every Drama Classroom Needs

Drama classrooms come in a huge variety of sizes and styles. You may have a fabulous auditorium with a giant storage closet, a dedicated drama classroom, a shared space, or you may not have a classroom at all (hello, rolling supply cart!). No matter what type of space you have, you’ll need some essential supplies and equipment for your classroom. The items below are what we consider “drama classroom must-haves.”

This article focuses specifically on supplies for the needs of the basic drama classroom, so you won’t see items like a lighting board or microphones. Those items are fabulous and necessary for productions, but here we’re talking about the day-to-day needs. It’s definitely possible to create beautiful theatrical pieces with an empty stage space and your students’ creativity, but the essential items below will make things easier:

• As many pencils with erasers as you can get your hands on. Pencils, not pens — students need to be able to erase their script notes in the drama classroom. For bonus points, choose pencils with unique designs on them or put a bit of colourful tape or a dab of colourful nail polish on them, so they’re identified as classroom pencils and you’ll be more likely to get them back.

• Highlighters, similarly labeled as your pencils.

• Sticky notes in a variety of sizes and colours.

• Clipboards, if you’re working in a classroom without desks.

• A stopwatch or timer, for timing improvised scenes or rehearsals.

• A noisemaker, such as a bell or horn, to let students know that their time is up. This saves you from having to shout over the classroom din.

• Three to five small balls or beanbags, for various warm-ups and exercises.

• A binder of monologues and scenes for classroom use. Organize your scenes and monologues with dividers indicating number of actors in the scene, comedic versus tragic, modern versus classic, and so on, for easy photocopying.

• Scripts for students to study. Theatrefolk has a wonderful selection of play scripts to get you started.

• A box of assorted hats for character work, costume inspiration, games such as Row of Hats, and drawing names out of a hat. If you’re short on storage space, consider soft, easy-to-fold-down hats such as bucket hats, ball caps, berets, or toques/beanies.

• A box with a random assortment of small hand props for scene work and activities such as Speed Props. Some frequently seen onstage items you might include are a (non-breakable) mug/cup and saucer/tankard, a rotary phone, a magnifying glass, a lantern with a battery-operated candle, a hardback book, a newspaper, a wallet with fake bills/coins, a (non-breakable) hand mirror, a cafeteria tray, and a lightweight blanket or bedsheet.

• Various types of tape — spike tape (in at least three different colours), gaff tape, scotch tape, painter’s tape.

• A small portable sound system, such as a Bluetooth speaker or boom box with various adapter cords, for playing music in class.

• If you have dedicated rehearsal space and/or storage, my number one classroom items are rehearsal cubes. They’re incredibly versatile for rehearsing and performing, and can be used as extra seating in your classroom in a pinch. If you have the type with hinged lids, you can also use them for temporary storage of props or costume items.

What items would you add to this list? Let us know!

Additional Resources:

Your Drama Classroom Wish List
Advice for New Drama Teachers: Planning Ahead