to teach students the essentials of movement, pantomime, character, and ensemble, as well as provide the psychosocial benefits of performing arts and inclusive educational opportunities. Deaf West Theatre’s Dramatic Gestures program addressed the following specific learning goals, which are aligned with California State English Language Arts (SELA) and Visual and Performing Arts (VAPA) standards:
Standards
Instructional Activities
VAPA Standard 3.1 Role and Cultural Significance of Theater
Session 1: Ensemble—Students learn to watch and respond to one another as a means of producing theatrical work. Students explore American Sign Language and deaf culture, and its role in American theater.
VAPA Standard 1.1 Development of the Vocabulary of Theater VAPA Standard 1.2 Comprehension and Analysis of the Elements of Theater
SELA Standard, Reading 3.0 Literary Response and Analysis VAPA Standard 4.2 Critical Assessment of Theater VAPA Standard 4.3 Derivation of Meaning from Works of Theater
Session 2: Gesture—Students build understanding of theater etiquette and vocabulary, such as character, setting, plot, and theme, through interactive theater exercises. Students learn to use gesture to act out a concept or story.
Session 3: Character Development—Students explore how actors and playwrights communicate meaning. Student learning is evaluated through written reviews. Students learn to use body and facial gestures to express emotion and learn the concept of “character,” character motivation, and staying in character.
Schools that provided these workshops also hosted a production of the in-school performance. Deaf West Theatre was able to support a touring production of in-school performances for eight Los Angeles–area elementary schools. This production used the blended voiced and signed style typical of Deaf West Theatre to tell stories to pre-Kindergarten and elementary school learners. Classroom
VSA
15