Dress Rehearsal for Citizenship: Using Theater to Teach Law- Related Education to Diverted Youth (From Law-Related Education and Juvenile Justice, P 217-223, 1997, Deborah Williamson, Kevin I Minor, and James W Fox, eds. -- See NCJ-167087)

• NCJ Number: 167101
• Author(s): S Larison; D Williamson; P Knepper
• Date Published: 1997
• Length: 7 pages
• Sale Source: Charles C. Thomas
• Publication Type: Program/Project Description
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This paper describes an innovative law-related education (LRE) program in Kenton County, Ky., which uses theater to reach youth diverted from juvenile court.

Abstract

Theater Inside matches three drama teachers with 12 incarcerated juveniles. The actors conduct a fast-paced workshop in which the students participate in exercises facilitated by the teachers, all of whom have had experience or training in dramatic performance. Teachers and students begin work in small groups and then prepare to stage a production. Theater Inside emphasizes a flexible, criticism-free interaction between students and teachers. The program uses the study of drama to provide a forum in which to instill cooperation, create relationships, build self-esteem, and cultivate imagination. As soon as the drama exercises began, it became clear that theater could be a powerful medium to teach LRE content to youth. Scripts could be developed to provide LRE content. As adapted for Kentucky youth, the LRE/theater concept showed that the program can incorporate the various prescriptions for effective LRE instruction. The drama exercises involve interactive learning strategies, and the scripts contain a variety of instructional materials that reflect LRE content. 1 reference