从忘词到谢幕：一节戏剧课的“百倍”成长

“跟我们第一次排练相比，已经好了100倍！”谢幕后， James在采访中兴奋的说。

很难想象，几个月前，这群学生第一次站上排练厅时，还会因为一句台词而迟疑，也会因为一个夸张动作而忍不住笑场。

但戏剧课从来不是为了追求完美的表演。

在Miss Pay的课堂里，舞台更像一个不断试错的空间，学生尝试角色、改写台词、设计动作，在一次次排练中逐渐找到表达自己的方式。

整整一个学期的课堂内容，不仅变成了两场精彩纷呈的戏剧展演，也成为一次关于勇气、表达与合作的共同练习。

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“Compared to our first rehearsal, we’ve improved a hundred times over!” James exclaimed excitedly in an interview after the curtain call. 

It’s hard to imagine that just a few months ago, when these students first stepped into the rehearsal hall, they hesitated over a single line and burst into laughter at an exaggerated gesture. 

But drama class was never about chasing the perfect performance. 

In Miss Pay’s class, the stage is more like a space for constant trial and error. Students experiment with roles, rewrite lines, design movements, and gradually find their own way of expression through countless rehearsals. The content of an entire semester’s classes has not only evolved into two brilliant drama performances but also a shared lesson in courage, expression and collaboration.

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During their first rehearsal, many students were unaccustomed to the stage. Some dared not speak their lines loudly, others felt embarrassed by over-the-top movements, and some couldn’t help laughing during their performances. The air in the rehearsal hall was stiff for a time. 

Yet the charm of drama often lies in such uncertainty. 

As rehearsals progressed, everyone came to realize that the stage allows for a mode of expression unlike that in daily life. In their roles, they could be bolder, more direct, and more authentic. 

James believes that since he got into drama, it has not only been a way to release his emotions and experience different roles on stage, but also to break free from the labels of everyday life.

戏剧展演现场

Live at the Drama Showcase

戏剧展演现场

Live at the Drama Showcase

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If you had walked into Miss Pay’s class at the start of the semester, you would have seen a group of shy, introverted students with their heads down. “

 “We’ve been preparing for these plays since early November,” Miss Pay recalled, her eyes lighting up. A professional actress who came to VMA all the way from the United States, she knows all too well the nervousness of standing on the edge of a stage. Now, watching these once-shy students recite lines in English and convey emotions through their bodies on stage fills her with joy and excitement.

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Miss Pay’s classes are unique. She does exaggerated impressions of the students chatting, making everyone laugh until they calm down on their own. But her teaching method is even more special. “I won’t make choices for you; I’ll only give you ideas, possibilities,” she tells the students. “It’s up to you to decide how to perform.” 

She never imposes her own ideas on the students, but instead guides them to create their own interesting performances. Many of the final stage details—a comical fall, a drawn-out line—are often the students’ own creations. “

“Now they’ve become cheerful and outgoing, daring to step out of their comfort zones and explore new possibilities,” Miss Pay said, her voice brimming with pride. And she herself is no stranger to stepping out of her comfort zone. From the stages of the US to a classroom in Shenzhen, this artist, who is also a storyteller, choreographer and costume designer, is showing every child in her own way: youth needs a stage, and even just standing there is a victory of courage. 

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As the lights dimmed at the performance, Ms. Jenny, standing offstage, gently pressed the music button. At that moment, she was no longer a math teacher, but the “behind-the-scenes director” of the drama. She was in charge of the music and curtain control for the play, participating in the joys and sorrows on stage in another way. “

“Nurture relationships first, then teach.” When Jenny read this sentence in the educational drama course, it struck a chord with her. She felt that her experience of participating in the drama class with the students was the perfect illustration of this saying. 

In the drama class, there is no divide between the podium and the classroom, no boundary between teachers and students. Everyone experiments with roles together, discusses the plot together, experiences the tension of rehearsals together, and celebrates the joy of success together. 

Relationships are built naturally in this process. And this trust quietly extends to other classrooms. The children have become more relaxed and more willing to express themselves. 

“There’s a student who’s actually in my math class now,” Jenny said with a smile. “She used to resist and even fear math. But because we took the drama class together, acted in the play and talked about drama together, our relationship has changed, and she’s started to take an interest in math.”

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For Victoria, a visual arts student, this experience also brought new creative inspiration: “Each of our roles has a distinct personality—some speak slowly, some are quick-witted. I’ve found that these different personalities inspire my emotional expression when I paint.” 

From a broader perspective, the drama class presents a different way of learning. It is more like an open stage where different disciplines, personalities and modes of expression meet one another. 

Students read scripts, understand roles, practice expression, collaborate with peers, and ultimately complete a full stage performance. Literature, language, art and physical expression are all brought into play in one space. In such a classroom, learning is no longer just the accumulation of knowledge in a single subject, but more like a real creative practice. 

In VMA, learning can take on a more three-dimensional and rich form.