Welcome to this issue of The Way Home!

One of the best experiences in homeschooling our son was when we would get together with a group of homeschooling friends to rehearse and stage plays. Some were originals, written by homeschooled children (and parents); some were from the standard repertoire, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, an adaptation of Little Women, You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown, etc.

The dramatic arts provide the perfect Unit Study base, incorporating virtually every learning style and academic subject in some way – memorizing, public speaking, reading, writing, even math in set design and staging! Every type of personality can participate too – the shy, introverted child can write or assist in a backstage job, while the outgoing child can tackle a role or two and the musically inclined can provide a score or accompaniment.

Because it can be difficult to know where to begin and how to make it all happen, we are offering these Drama resources to you. Some may guide you each step of the way; others will spark your own ideas and you will find ways and means on your own – in typical homeschooling fashion. Either way, we think the dramatic arts are a wonderful experience for all members of the family!

THANGSTGIVING & The Holidays
It’s Not Just The Pie That’s Crusty
by Diane Flynn Keith
For many of you, the Thanksgiving feast with its traditional marshmallow sweet potato casserole was the first of many sticky situations that will last throughout the holiday season.  You’ll be served a smorgasbord of confrontational relatives who subject you to snide comments and questions that may include:

• Insisting that your kids will not be well-socialized (even though they are in the next room happily playing and interacting with their cousins).

• Testing your kids to see what they know.  For example, your father-in-law channels Alex Trebek as he asks, “What’s the third digit of pi?” or “What’s the capital of Serbia ?” or “When did colonial Governor William Bradford issue the first Thanksgiving Proclamation?”   READ MORE>>

Drama Ed Review

The Drama Game File, a comprehensive theatre arts curriculum on CD-ROM that is used by teachers, schools, and universities throughout the United States and internationally, “creates magic with children of all ages through humor, passion, and improvisational abilities.”  The games and techniques of this program have been used with great success in a wide variety of settings. Users around the world have applied the Drama Ed curriculum to accomplish social, educational, and religious objectives.

Jonas Basom, author and creator of the Drama Game File, is an educator artist, consultant, and author whose mission is to spread the magic of drama to children of all ages. Jonas has a lifetime of training and experience as a performing artist, appearing in dozens of productions for stage, film, television, and radio.  His talents include acting, pantomime, puppetry, tap dance, clowning, singing, improvisation, and voice-over work.

As a party entertainer in LA, Jonas developed a unique combination of drama games and storytelling, and captivated hundreds of children as “Kuzu the Klown.”

Singing Made Easy

The “Singing Made Easy” course and materials are the result of author Marcia McCarry’s 45 years of direct experience as a professional voice trainer as well as a student of the Suzuki Piano Method.  In 1983, a fateful trip to Japan to study with Dr. Haruko Kataoka, and a subsequent meeting with the renowned master Dr. Shinichi Suzuki and his wife planted the seed of Marcia’s idea to translate this method of learning music to voice training. The essential ingredient in Dr. Suzuki’s method is listening by ear; adapting this method to teach singers is a natural extension of this process.

There are also a number of other products besides the Singing Made Easy and Acting for Singers on Marcia McCarry’s web site, so to find out more you can visit her at www.singingmadeeasy.com.

Hollywood 101

Lights! Camera! Action! Do your kids think they have what it takes to be on television or in commercials? Do you think they have what it takes?  If so, the Hollywood 101 study guides by Chambers Stevens will help guide your kids into the world of T.V. Emmy nominee Chambers Stevens has coached over 5000 kids and teens who have appeared in television shows and commercials. Stevens is an accomplished television and theater actor, an award-winning playwright, an author and a teacher. He is a graduate of the Conservatory of Theater Arts at Webster University and the founder of the Nashville Shakespeare Festival. In his six-book series entitled Hollywood 101, Stevens combines his qualifications and his inside knowledge of the entertainment field to provide kids and teens with valuable information necessary for success in theater and television. 
     www.childrenactingbooks.com

Pioneer Drama

Pioneer Drama is one of the largest full-service play publishing and licensing companies operating in the United States.  They carry the exclusive rights to over 700 plays and musicals! All of their scripts—extensively produced by schools, colleges, churches, children’s theatres and community theater groups—are carefully selected to meet the specific needs of the homeschool family or resource group, educational and amateur markets.

In addition to their high quality scripts for productions of every size, Pioneer Drama Service offers one of the finest collections of theatre textbooks available anywhere. Very reasonably priced, you’ll find these books ideal for homeschoolers use or for your professional library.

You can visit the Pioneer Drama website:
www.pioneerdrama.com and browse the many sections of our catalog you see to the left. When searching the catalog you can find the perfect play or musical for your performing group’s every need.

For more information about Select Choice, please visit www.pioneerdrama.com

Plays Magazine

Whether it’s performed in a backyard or playground, a school or professional theatre, a play performed live can hold children’s attention, spark their imaginations, and boost their creativity in ways no other medium can. It’s exciting, engaging and just plain fun.

Plays, The Drama Magazine, provides it’s readers/subscribers ROYALTY FREE access to anywhere from 60 – 70 plays per year, including access to all the hundreds of plays published in the magazine over the past 63 years. Plays Magazine is published seven times per year (October – May). Each issue contains eight to ten one-act, age appropriate plays for students in lower, middle, and upper grades.

You are highly encouraged to log onto www.playsmagazine.com to view some of their best selling
play collections which include The Very Best Christmas Plays For Kids, Lively Plays for Young Actors: 12 One-Act Comedies for Stage, Stage Plays from the Classics, Awesome Plays for Teens and Tweens, Plays of Great Achievers, and more.

Plays, The Drama Magazine, offers something for everyone. Even children who are shy about performing can help with costumes, makeup, set design, props, and much more. For over 60 years, teachers, drama directors, librarians, and young people have turned to Plays as a reliable source of wholesome and entertaining dramatic material and we suggest you do too. By subscribing to Plays
Magazine your home, classroom, and special occasion activities will be enlivened with charming new age appropriate plays and programs. Please visit their website soon and inform your family of the great values to be found in the study of drama.  www.playsmagazine.com