The theatre portion of the CREATE grant was served by two specialist teams during the 1999 - 2000 school year-theYoung Peoples Theatre Program (YPTP) and the high school Gifted and Talented (GT) Drama program. Both of these teams visited their assigned schools between three and five times to help in the completion of the Essential Learner Outcomes in Theatre. YPTP worked with Bohemia Manor Middle, Cecilton Elementary, Kenmore Elementary, and Thomson Estates Elementary while GT Drama attended to Cherry Hill Middle, North East Middle, Conowingo Elementary and Elk Neck Elementary.
There were integrated units developed in the sixth grade Africa unit (Bohemia Manor and Cherry Hill) as well as the sixth grade Rome, fractions and poetry units (North East). On the elementary level, there were units developed concerning Readers' Theatre, puppetry, masks and mathematics (Thomson Estates, Kenmore and Cecilton). There were also units and lessons developed concerning the study of weather, friendship and multiculturalism (Conowingo and Elk Neck).
When visiting schools, YPTP brought various members of the staff. These staff members directly interacted with both the students and the teachers. The staff also participated in the monthly steering committee meetings. The GT Drama program, when visiting schools, was accompanied by the director as well as approximately fifteen to twenty high school students. These students served as teaching assistants and often helped to design the lessons. The CREATE program was directly integrated into the GT Drama curriculum.
The specialists found that when working with middle school students, they responded more positively to the high school actors than to the adults. The specialists also found that at the schools where communication was more fluid amongst all team members, lessons were better prepared and more positively received by the students. Consistent communication is the key to a successful program.
YPTP helped to broaden the enrichment opportunities of the CREATE program through a production of Really Rosie. Students at Conowingo and Thomson Estates were exposed to this production. Those schools also received preparatory lessons for the show.
The GT Drama ensemble performed The People v. B.B. Wolf. Students from Conowingo, Elk Neck, Cherry Hill and Thomson Estates attended the production. The show was highly successful. The schools in the CREATE program were all given the opportunity to attend or bring in an enrichment group of some sort. Some teams went to the Wilmington Playhouse and several brought in performers from the Artists in Education program. All of the CREATE schools were involved in theatre enrichment of some form.
Both the Young Peoples Theatre Program and the Gifted and Talented Drama program found the CREATE program to be a rewarding and beneficial experience. The students truly enjoyed their exposure to the various elements of theatre. The school teams commented that the integration of theatre into their curricula often brought out new ideas and methods for reaching all students. The project has been a very satisfying and worthwhile venture.