Collective creation in high school: the Mystery Stringpicker at the Death Café

• Main Author: Brown, Lois
• Format: Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: Memorial University of Newfoundland 1989
• Subjects: Canada; Newfoundland
• Online Access: https://research.library.mun.ca/5004/; https://research.library.mun.ca/5004/1/Brown_Lois.pdf; https://research.library.mun.ca/5004/3/Brown_Lois.pdf

This thesis is an examination of the value of using collective creation in an educational setting. A review of the literature shows how the theatre of collective creation has much in common with the goals and approaches of drama educators. The journal provides a description of its use in a particular instance, as well as the teacher's experience of this process and of the students involved. -- The Mystery Stringpicker at the Death Cafe was performed at a high school Drama Festival on April 7, 1987. It is the culmination of the efforts of eight teenagers and one teacher to collectively create a high school play. The collective creation process that this group used was similar to that pioneered in Canada by Theatre Passe Muraille and in Newfoundland by the Mummers Troupe. Collective creation provided these students with the opportunity to participate in theatre that was student-centered, spontaneous, and open-ended and to evaluate the process through the performance. -- The teacher's journal and the transcripts of two tape-recorded discussions held by this collective group reveals an individual approach to a process that is characterized by cooperation, empowerment, and a sense of community. These qualities demonstrated the group not only to be learning about a particular approach to theatre, but also to be creating the opportunities for themselves to develop in accordance with the Aims of Public Education for Newfoundland and Labrador. The journal is also a description of a lived experience and so allowed the teacher to experience again her thoughts and actions and reflect upon and enrich her understanding of teaching.