From Classroom to Stage to Community: The Francophone Youth Theater Experience

Abstract

This study recounts a unique collaboration in which an undergraduate French literature class was invited to perform the opening play for a theater festival geared toward high school foreign language students. What began as a traditional literature seminar evolved into a student-led performance project that allowed DePaul University to interact with the local community. The reading and analysis of plays, paired with process-oriented drama activities in the classroom, helped students gain the skills and confidence necessary to create, stage, and perform in their own production, and presented a valuable opportunity to promote the study of French to a younger audience.