Education

Theater Alaska is working with English teachers at Juneau Douglas High School (JDHS), Yakoosge Daakahidi, and Thunder Mountain High School (TMHS) to introduce students to plays through participation in theater exercises and active discussion of themes and the theatrical artform. We are also bringing theater annually to all three high schools to ensure that students have the opportunity to see and interact with professional theater that represents them as individuals. In 2023, Theater Alaska presented Every Brilliant Thing by Duncan Macmillan with Jonny Donahoe as a part of this initiative.

We are developing programs to introduce students to a broad range of writers, including Alaskan Native playwright and Theater Alaska writer-in-residence Frank Katasse. Additionally, each year students at JDHS and TMHS study Romeo and Juliet (9th Grade) and Much Ado About Nothing (10th Grade), and Theater Alaska is working to provide annual support to English teachers to make the teaching of theatrical scripts active and empowering to students. This is particularly important during this period of time when teachers are looking for assistance in making online lessons more participatory. Theater exercises get students on their feet and into their bodies to effectively communicate their ideas as individuals and within groups.  

This work is made possible through funding from the Artful Teaching project administered by Juneau Arts and Humanities Council and supported by Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies. The Artful Teaching project is a collaborative effort between the Juneau School District, University of Alaska Southeast, and Juneau Arts and Humanities Council. www.artfulteaching.org.

For more information regarding Theater Alaska’s education programs, please contact Flordelino Lagundino at flordelino@theateralaska.org.