The purpose of our in-school mini workshops is to engage students in Wabanaki culture and get them up on their feet and become immersed in different elements of My Story is Gluskabe. Students will work directly with a professional teaching artist during school hours. In addition to our current teaching staff, guest teachers may include Indigenous performers and artists. We are offering multiple options of the mini workshops to give the students and teachers the ability to choose what works best for their classrooms.

Additionally, schools looking for ways to deepen their engagement with Wabankai culture and to expand their curriculum with Indigenous history, the in-school workshop will engage both indigenous and non-indigenous students in the Penobscot tradition of oral storytelling and to embrace the full history of Maine.

Students who are also attending the Student Matinees will then visit the Bangor Opera House and see a fully conceptualized performance of My Story is Gluskabe where they see their guest teachers in action as performers on stage or through the technical elements of the show.

Language Workshop

Roger Paul (or another language teacher) leads a workshop about Algonquian languages.  Focus on speaking words, understanding phrases and connecting it back to the context of the show.  Students practice a scene with language in it from the play.

Design Workshop

A Production Team member goes through the process of accurately designing a prop/costume/scenic piece for Gluskabe.  Talk about traditions/historical connections that drive the design.  Students try building a replica of a prop/costume/scenic piece used in the show.

Music Workshop

Exploring the music used in the production and Penobscot music traditions.  More of a mini performance for the students with Q&A than a hands on workshop.  Go through the history of instruments used and why.

Scene Study

More advanced workshop for acting students.  Creating a play based on a collection of stories and working on active listening/ensemble skills.  Lead by an actor in the show.  Emphasis on performance of the scene and workshopping choices that could change.

Nature Workshop

Geared towards younger students, exploring the animals and stories spoken about in the play.  Students will create their own drawings of the animals and talk about how they might move/act.  A version of readers theater with more emphasis on movement than line delivery.

Secure your workshops by emailing us at education@penobscottheatre.org