Afterpiece: A Podcast About Educational Theatre

In this episode of Afterpiece, Billy and Annie Dragoo explore the power of Verbatim Theatre and its many applications in educational theatre. They discuss the Living Newspaper assignment, a project that encourages students to research current events and transform real-world stories into compelling theatrical performances using authentic source material. The conversation also examines how verbatim theatre can be used both in the classroom and on stage to develop research skills, foster empathy, amplify diverse voices, and create meaningful connections between theatre and contemporary issues. Whether you're a theatre educator, director, or student, this episode offers practical ideas for bringing real stories to life through performance.
 
Substack: https://substack.com/@onteachinganddirecting
Website: www.DragooTheatre.com
 

Afterpiece Summer Short #2: Building a Summer Theatre Camp with The Lion King Jr.
In this episode of Afterpiece, Billy and Annie Dragoo take listeners behind the scenes of the PSJA Rising Stars Theatre Camp and this summer's production of The Lion King Jr.
Drawing on decades of experience in educational theatre, Billy and Annie discuss how the camp is structured to maximize learning, creativity, and student engagement while producing a high-quality musical in a limited amount of time. They share how students rotate through acting, music, and choreography sessions, how leadership responsibilities are distributed among the directing team, and why creating a supportive learning environment is just as important as preparing for opening night.
The conversation also explores what makes summer theatre camps successful. From building strong organizational systems to setting realistic expectations, Billy and Annie offer practical advice for teachers, directors, and community theatre leaders who are interested in starting their own summer programs. They discuss common challenges, strategies for managing large casts, and ways to maintain artistic excellence while keeping the experience fun and accessible for young performers.
Along the way, they reflect on the remarkable growth they have witnessed in students throughout the rehearsal process and celebrate the power of theatre to build confidence, community, and lifelong memories.
Whether you're an experienced theatre educator or someone considering launching a summer camp for the first time, this episode offers encouragement, practical tools, and a reminder that great theatre experiences begin with a commitment to students first.
Topics Discussed:
The structure of the PSJA Rising Stars Theatre Camp
Producing The Lion King Jr.
Organizing acting, music, and choreography rotations
Maintaining quality in a short rehearsal process
Building confidence and community through theatre
Tips for starting a summer theatre camp
Lessons learned from decades of educational theatre experience
SUBSTACK: https://substack.com/@onteachinganddirecting/note/p-202893276?utm_source=notes-share-action&r=55jakd
Website: Www.DragooTheatre.com
 
 

Afterpiece Summer Short #1: The What? Game
In this first installment of our Summer Short Series, Billy and Annie Dragoo share one of the simplest and most effective rehearsal tools they used throughout their teaching careers: The What? Game.
Every theatre educator has encountered the student who delivers a line correctly but not truthfully. The words are right, but the performance feels planned, mechanical, or disconnected from genuine listening. In this episode, Billy and Annie explore why young actors often fall into performance habits and how a single-word directing note can help them reconnect to authentic human behavior.
The exercise is deceptively simple. When a line reading sounds artificial, the director stops the actor and says, "What?" The actor repeats the line. If it still doesn't feel honest, the director says, "What?" again. The process continues until the actor stops performing the line and begins responding truthfully in the moment.
Along the way, Billy and Annie discuss:
Why students often decide how a line should sound before they truly listen
The difference between reciting and responding
Common habits that create "performance voice"
Why truthful acting is usually simpler than students expect
How directors can help actors remove unnecessary choices rather than add more
The conversation also explores a larger directing philosophy: that great directing is often an act of subtraction. Instead of asking for bigger emotions or more theatricality, directors can help actors find honesty, presence, and genuine connection.
Whether you're preparing for summer camp, directing a fall production, or teaching acting classes, this practical rehearsal technique can help students develop more authentic performances and stronger listening skills.
Sometimes the best directing note isn't "more emotion."
Sometimes it's simply:
"What?"
 
www.DragooTheatre.com
 

As another school year comes to a close, Billy and Annie take a moment to reflect on the work, the memories, and the lessons that remain long after the final curtain call.
In this season finale of Afterpiece, Billy reads an excerpt from Excellence Is Habit and Annie shares an essay from Other Duties As Assigned. Together, they discuss leadership, teaching, directing, and the moments that have shaped their careers in educational theatre.
The episode also introduces the upcoming summer format for Afterpiece, including:
Afterpiece Summer Shorts
Practical rehearsal and classroom tips
Stories from Tech Week
Travel adventures with Dragaud Sojourns
Reflections on preparing for a new school year
Guest interviews with theatre professionals and educators
Whether you're striking a set, closing a gradebook, directing a summer camp, or simply catching your breath, we hope this episode reminds you that the work mattered.
Thank you for spending another season with us.
Books, resources, and show notes:www.DragooTheatre.com
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Excellencia consuetudo est.Excellence is habit.

In this episode, Annie and Billy Dragoo focus on one of the most overlooked parts of the school year: the final 30 days. Rather than treating this time as a slow wind-down, they reframe it as a critical period where the work of the entire year is either reinforced or quietly undone. They unpack what actually shifts in classrooms and rehearsals during this stretch, why students begin to question what still “counts,” and how small changes in structure can lead to a loss of focus.
The conversation moves beyond common end-of-year habits that don’t serve teachers or students, including introducing new projects, loosening expectations, and replacing structure with vague “fun” activities. Instead, Annie and Billy offer a clear, practical approach to finishing strong both on stage and in the classroom. They emphasize maintaining consistent rehearsal and classroom routines, shifting from new material to precision and refinement, and giving students a clearly defined finish line that keeps effort focused and intentional.
Through specific examples from both rehearsal and classroom settings, they illustrate how accountability can be maintained without increasing burnout. The focus shifts from adding consequences to removing ambiguity, showing how clarity in expectations leads to stronger behavior and better outcomes. They also address the teacher mindset at this point in the year, acknowledging the exhaustion many educators feel while reinforcing the importance of holding steady rather than easing up.
Ultimately, this episode centers on honoring the work that has already been built. Annie and Billy argue that how a year ends communicates to students what that work was worth. By staying consistent, maintaining expectations, and finishing with intention, teachers create a sense of completion that students remember long after the year is over.
 
www.DragooTheatre.com
https://substack.com/@onteachinganddirecting
 

This episode of Afterpiece steps out of the studio and into the car as Annie and Billy compare notes from a semester spent working in two different states. What unfolds is less a recap and more a real-time debrief of what’s actually happening in educational theatre right now.
They dig into auditions first, looking at what students are bringing into the room this year, where preparation is strong, and where gaps are starting to show. The conversation moves into rehearsal practices, with a focus on how time is being used, what’s shifting in student focus and stamina, and the practical adjustments teachers are making to keep work moving forward without burning out.
A significant portion of the episode centers on UIL One-Act Play trends. Annie and Billy break down what they’re seeing across competitions, including patterns in directing choices, performance styles, and how schools are approaching the one-hour rehearsal process. They offer grounded observations about what’s effective, what’s overused, and where opportunities still exist for clearer, more intentional work.
Throughout the episode, the tone stays candid and practical. This is two educators comparing lived experience across regions, identifying what holds true regardless of location, and where local culture is shaping the work in different ways. It’s a useful listen for anyone trying to make sense of their own semester while staying responsive to what students and programs actually need right now.
 
Website: www.DragooTheatre.com
Substack: @onteachinganddirecting
 

In this episode of Afterpiece, Billy and Annie Dragoo take a grounded, practical look at how artificial intelligence can be used responsibly in the theatre classroom. Rather than framing AI as a threat or a cure-all, they explore it as a tool that can support teaching, streamline preparation, and strengthen student thinking when clear boundaries are in place.
The conversation focuses on real classroom applications, including how students can use AI for research and design work without losing artistic ownership. A detailed example from Mamma Mia! costume research shows how AI can help students develop design vocabulary and organize historical context, while still requiring human judgment and creative decision-making.
Billy and Annie also address ethical considerations, student disclosure, and the importance of modeling responsible AI use as educators. The episode highlights how AI can reduce administrative overload for theatre teachers, allowing more time for teaching, directing, and student connection.
This episode is designed to help theatre educators feel informed rather than overwhelmed, offering practical guidance for integrating AI in ways that preserve artistry, integrity, and the human heart of theatre education.
 
www.DragooTheatre.com
www.DragaudSoujourns.com
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If you’re looking for comfortable, durable pieces that support long teaching days and real movement, you can check them out.
You can get 10% off with my code AnDr347659.
 

Technical theatre is often mislabeled as an extracurricular or fine arts elective, yet it already functions as a fully aligned Career and Technical Education pathway. In this episode of Afterpiece, Billy and Annie Dragoo make the case for recognizing tech theatre as CTE by grounding the conversation in federal standards, workforce data, and safety compliance rather than opinion or tradition.
The episode outlines how tech theatre aligns directly with the Arts, A/V Technology, and Communications Career Cluster recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and supported by national CTE policy leaders like Advance CTE. Billy and Annie compare tech theatre to other established CTE programs such as welding, automotive technology, and culinary arts, highlighting the funding and equipment disparities that exist despite comparable safety and instructional demands.
Using labor-market data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and skill alignment tools from O*NET Online, the episode demonstrates that students trained in lighting, sound, stage management, scenic construction, and costume technology can enter the workforce with certificates, apprenticeships, or short-term technical training. The conversation also references industry-recognized standards and pathways through organizations such as the Entertainment Technician Certification Program, Entertainment Services and Technology Association, and IATSE.
Billy and Annie emphasize that advocacy succeeds when framed around compliance and student safety. Referencing Occupational Safety and Health Administration standards, they explain why proper equipment, training, and facilities are not wish-list items but requirements for any program operating as a technical lab. The episode also points to widely used professional tools and platforms such as Electronic Theatre Controls, QLab, and Vectorworks to demonstrate clear alignment between classroom instruction and industry practice.
At its core, this episode centers students. Tech theatre provides a powerful pathway for learners who thrive in hands-on, collaborative, problem-solving environments and prepares them for immediate employment in live events, entertainment, and technical production fields. Recognizing tech theatre as CTE is not about elevating a program; it is about accurately classifying the work already being done so students receive the training, protection, and opportunity they deserve.
Website: www.DragooTheatre.comSponsor: Just Strong
If you’re looking for comfortable, durable pieces that support long teaching days and real movement, you can check them out.
You can get 10% off with my code AnDr347659. 

In this episode of Afterpiece, Billy and Annie Dragoo explore how strong theatre programs are built to last. Drawing from their most requested workshop, they break down the practical structures that turn a theatre department into a sustainable, values-driven program rather than a collection of disconnected productions. The conversation covers curriculum sequencing, branding and visibility, department handbooks, and the small rituals that create belonging and long-term buy-in from students and communities.
The episode also examines leadership pipelines, early program development through youth engagement, and fundraising models that rely on pride instead of pressure. Billy and Annie emphasize the importance of repetition, clear distinctions between practice and rehearsal, and teaching students to become thoughtful, self-directed artists through table work, research, and impulse-based acting exercises. Throughout, they return to the idea that excellence is not accidental—it is built through habits, shared language, and intentional tradition that outlasts any single class or director.
Completed Tradition! Building L…
Website: www.DragooTheatre.comSponsor: www.Dragaudsojourns.com

The UIL One-Act Play “one-hour rehearsal” is one of the most misunderstood moments in the entire contest process—and one of the easiest places to lose valuable time. In this episode of Afterpiece, Billy and Annie Dragoo break down what the hour actually is (and is not), using the UIL Handbook as the guide.
Rather than treating the hour like an acting rehearsal, this episode reframes it as a technical orientation, safety check, and systems integration period. Annie and Billy emphasize the importance of simultaneous workflow—lighting checks happening while sound levels are set, while the set is measured, approved, and assembled. The key is parallel processing, not sequential waiting.
Listeners will learn how to:
Organize deck, lighting, sound, and actor teams to work at the same time
Use Contest Manager inspections efficiently without stalling progress
Prioritize anchor moments like opening cues, major transitions, and closing looks
Avoid common time-wasting mistakes that derail otherwise strong companies
Exit the space professionally and confidently before contest day
This episode is a practical, experience-driven guide for directors who want their companies calm, prepared, and technically solid when it matters most.
Website: www.DragooTheatre.comSponsor: Dragaud Sojourns – www.DragaudSoujourns