The Drama Teacher Lab
Community & resources built for middle and high school theatre teachers who want strong structure, creative flexibility, and less time spent reinventing materials.
Whether you’re here for the free Drama Class Starter Kit, the Director’s Production Playbook, or to join a community of like-minded teachers in the Drama Teacher Lab, YOU’RE IN THE RIGHT PLACE.
You love teaching theatre.
YOU HATE SPENDING EVERY SUNDAY REBUILDING IT FROM SCRATCH
There's a better way, and it starts today.
Teaching drama is one of the most creative, demanding, rewarding jobs in a school building. But nobody warned you about the hours spent building syllabi, writing parent letters, cobbling together audition forms, and planning units from a blank page (on top of, you know, actually teaching).
You shouldn't have to figure all of this out alone, and you definitely shouldn't have to reinvent it every single year.
The Drama Teacher Lab is an all-in-one resource library built by a theatre teacher who has been exactly where you are - and spent nearly twenty years developing, testing, and refining the materials so you don't have to.
Strong structure, creative flexibility, and less time reinventing the wheel.
Start with a free resource below, or jump straight in.
Well, hello! I’m Marie
I have been teaching high school Theatre and ELA since 2007.
I hold a Master's degree in Theatre Arts. I have directed more productions than I can count. I have built programs from the ground up with varying levels of administrative support, and I have kept showing up for my students through every disruption, schedule change, and shifting expectation that the last several years have thrown at all of us.
And for a long time, I did most of it completely on my own.
Nobody handed me a curriculum when I started. Nobody gave me an audition system, a production contract, or a parent communication template. I built everything myself — often the night before I needed it — and then I rebuilt it again when my students or my circumstances changed.
Here's what I eventually figured out- the lonely, start-from-scratch part of this job is optional. It just took me longer than it should have to realize that.
That's why The Drama Teacher Lab exists.
Every resource inside the Lab was developed in my real classroom - before the pandemic, through it, and in the years since - with today's students in mind. Not hypothetical students or students from ten years ago… The ones sitting in front of you right now, who need clearer structure, stronger community, and a teacher who isn't too exhausted to bring their best and be present in the classroom.
I am still in the classroom and teaching alongside you, and I built the Lab so that neither of us has to figure this out alone.
Teaching and running a theatre program is one of the most fulfilling things I've ever done, which is why I keep coming back for more. It's also possible to love your career, run a thriving program, AND have a life outside of school. (I promise!)
Before you commit to anything, grab this first.
A free starter kit for drama teachers who want to see exactly what my resources look and feel like.
You shouldn't have to take anyone's word for it when it comes to resources for your classroom. So before you spend a single dollar, I want to put something useful in your hands - for free.
The Drama Class Starter Kit is a collection of grab-and-go templates built for the first weeks of your drama class. This is the stuff you actually need so you can walk in ready to teach.
Here's what's inside:
Playbill Course Syllabus Template — All the information of a traditional syllabus, in a whimsical playbill format your students will actually read. Print double-sided, fold in the middle, and you're ready for Back to School Night!
Parent/Guardian Welcome Letter — A copy-and-paste template that introduces you, your class, and your program. Make your first communication home a positive one and start building community from week one.
Student Bellringer Sheets — The weekly routine your students need. Hand them out Monday, collect them Friday. Copy ahead of time and you're prepped for the whole term.
Daily & Weekly Rehearsal Reports — Take the subjectivity out of grading rehearsal work - students log what they worked on each day, so it's a running record, not busy work.
Broadway Bingo — A first-week activity that gets students talking, debating, and connecting from day one. Zero prep.
Script Tasting Menu — Grab a stack of scripts, make some copies, and let students "taste" a variety of plays and musicals. Easy prep, high engagement, and you get useful information about your students' interests right away.
You'll get instant access - use them today!
These are the same templates that live inside The Drama Teacher Lab - and they're yours, FREE, so you can see exactly what my resources are like before you decide anything else.
Ready to get your next production organized?
Here are eight professional templates. Every piece of production paperwork HANDLED.
LET’S BE HONEST - PRODUCTION SEASON IS LIKE NO OTHER
If you've ever spent a Sunday night building an audition form from scratch because you needed it by Monday morning - or cobbled together a parent contract by borrowing language from a sports team waiver and hoping for the best - this is for you.
The Director's Production Playbook is a collection of eight ready-to-edit administrative templates that cover the full arc of a high school production, from the moment you post audition sign-ups to the night you hand out programs.
These aren't documents thrown together quickly. They were refined show after show, over nearly two decades of directing, and they're professional enough that you'll be genuinely proud to hand them to students, parents, and administrators.
Here's what's inside:
Audition Application - Captures everything you need before a student steps in front of you: contact info, prior experience, role preferences, conflict dates, and more. This works as a printed document or a Google Form.
Audition Slip - The quick in-the-moment snapshot that students bring into the audition room. Brief, physical, and handed directly to the panel, this slip works alongside the full application so neither document feels overwhelming.
Audition Notes Sheet - A structured grid for your panel to track vocal quality, physicality, presence, cold read performance, and callback recommendations while each student is still fresh in everyone's mind.
Crew Member Application - A formal application that signals from day one that crew positions are earned, not assigned. Students who apply intentionally show up differently than students handed a job as an afterthought.
Crew Member Resume - A theater-specific resume template students complete before their crew interview. This is something they can carry with them long after your class because what they do backstage has real, lasting value.
Production Calendar - Maps your entire production timeline from auditions to closing night. Share it with students, parents, and administration before you even announce auditions and spend a lot less time answering "when is tech week again?"
Production Contract - A formal agreement signed by students and parents before rehearsals begin. When a conflict comes up mid-run, you have a document everyone agreed to. It protects your program and sets clear expectations from day one.
Quick Reference Sheet - A living document shared via link that serves as the single source of truth for your production. Update it in real time so parents and students always have accurate information - and quietly reduce the number of messages in your inbox during production season.
The Director's Production Playbook - $27
Instant access. Edit and reuse for every show, every year, as many times as you need.
Already love what you see? Everything in the Playbook - plus full unit plans, lesson resources, classroom tools, and a library that keeps growing all year long - lives inside The Drama Teacher Lab for $27/month. (The same price & a whole lot more…)
Keep scrolling for more about the lab…
So, what is this lab all about?
What You Get Inside the Lab
A living library that grows with you — and works in the classroom you're teaching in right now.
The Drama Teacher Lab isn't a static curriculum you buy once and shelve. It's a resource library that keeps growing, built from nearly two decades of real classroom experience and refined for the students and schedules you're actually working with today.
Here's what's waiting for you inside:
Classroom Lessons & Activities
Ready-to-teach lessons and activities developed over years of instruction — and revised to meet the needs of post-pandemic learners who need more structure, more engagement, and more explicit skill-building than ever before.
EXAMPLES OF WHAT'S INSIDE:
Pantomime and physical storytelling lessons with clear scaffolding for beginners
Stanislavski-based acting exercises adapted for high school attention spans
Monologue selection and preparation workshops
Improv and ensemble-building activities designed to rebuild collaboration and trust
Script analysis lessons that work for both theatre and ELA crossover classes
Warm-up routines your students will actually look forward to
Full Units & Course Curriculum Plans
Complete units that have been taught multiple times, across different student groups, different schedules, and different learning environments. The pacing works. The scaffolding works. The sequencing was figured out through trial and error so yours doesn't have to be.
EXAMPLES OF WHAT'S INSIDE:
Storytelling 101 Unit - a foundational unit that builds ensemble skills and narrative thinking from the ground up
Intro to Scene Study Unit - structured for students who have never read a script before, adaptable for more advanced classes
Playwriting Unit - guides students through creating original work, even when they insist they "have no ideas"
Ancient Greek Theatre Unit - connects theatrical tradition to performance practice in a way that actually resonates with teenagers
Audition Monologue Unit - from selection and memorization through performance, with rubrics and reflection built in
Course pacing guides and curriculum maps for various school schedules
Production Resources
Audition, rehearsal, and crew systems shaped by over a decade of directing high school productions — including everything in The Director's Production Playbook, plus tools for running rehearsals, managing your cast, and keeping your program running smoothly no matter how much (or how little) support you have from your school.
EXAMPLES OF WHAT'S INSIDE:
Full audition system templates — application, slip, notes sheet, and callback tracker
Crew application, resume, and interview tools that build a real production culture
Production calendar, contract, and quick reference sheet
Rehearsal report forms that take subjectivity out of grading
Production planning guides for plays and musicals
Program night checklists so nothing falls through the cracks in tech week
Classroom Management & Organization Tools
The administrative side of running a drama classroom - the templates, systems, and documents that keep your program looking professional and your planning from eating your weekends.
EXAMPLES OF WHAT'S INSIDE:
Playbill-style course syllabus template
Parent and guardian welcome letter
Student bellringer sheets
Grade-level appropriate participation and performance rubrics
Reflection and self-assessment tools students can actually use
First-week activities including Broadway Bingo and Script Tasting Menu
And the library keeps growing.
This is not a download-and-forget-it situation. It's a resource you'll come back to all year long.
Works for intro theatre and advanced classes
Adaptable for quarter, semester, trimester, and year-long courses
Designed for mixed-level programs and single-teacher departments
Useful whether you've been teaching for one year or twenty (like I have!)
Full access to the entire library — $27/month. Cancel anytime.
Every resource. All future additions. No long-term commitment.
Frequently asked questions
YOU’VE GOT QUESTIONS… AND I’M SO GLAD YOU ASKED…
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The Drama Teacher Lab is a monthly subscription of $27, designed to be accessible for teachers without a large upfront cost.
Your subscription gives you full access to the entire resource library for as long as you’re a member, including all future updates and additions.
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Resources are delivered as editable Google Docs, Google Slides, Canva Templates, and PDF files - so you can customize them to fit your school, your program, and your students. Every template is designed to be made your own.
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New lessons, units, and production tools are added on an ongoing basis throughout the year. The Lab is a living library, not a static download, which means the longer you're a member, the more you have access to.
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The Lab isn’t a static curriculum - it’s a living resource library.
A subscription allows me to:
add new lessons and units
update existing resources as classrooms evolve
continue building production tools teachers actually need
You’re paying for ongoing support, not just a download.
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Yes.
You can cancel your subscription at any time from your account dashboard. You’ll keep access through the end of your billing cycle.
No emails. No hoops.
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The Drama Teacher Lab is best suited for middle school and high school theatre classrooms.
Many resources are intentionally flexible so they can be adapted for:
intro theatre
advanced classes
mixed-level programs
performance-based and tech-focused courses
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Yes.
The Lab is designed to provide structure without rigidity. If you’re new to theatre - or coming from another subject - you’ll find clear starting points, adaptable lessons, and practical tools that build confidence.
You don’t need a theatre degree to use these resources - take advantage of the one I already have!
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Absolutely.
Use the Lab to:
streamline planning
refresh units they’ve taught for years
organize production systems
reduce prep time without lowering expectations
This is about refinement, not starting over.
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Immediately.
Once you complete checkout, you’ll receive instant access to the full Drama Teacher Lab library.
Access the entire library TODAY
...keep coming back as it continues to grow!
Seriously - Don't Figure it All Out from Scratch
(Because I already have... a few times over! Haha!)
The Drama Teacher Lab isn’t a trend-based curriculum.
It isn't a bank of lessons created by corporate education consultants or educators who haven't taught in a classroom in recent years.
It’s a living library built from experience, resilience, and real-time adaptation.
Start free.
Try a low-cost resource.
Jump straight into the full library.
Whatever makes sense for where you are right now - there's a place for you here. :)