Customer Reviews

My two daughters and a friend wanted to do something at the annual Eisteddfod this year. We've chosen "Crows" from the noisy-poems booklet and are having so much fun making a little drama-piece from it. Thank you for these wonderful resources!

I've never taught a theater class of any kind. I've never taken a theater class of any kind. So when I was informed that I was teaching theater this year to both HS and MS students my blood pressure may have spiked. Drama Notebook has saved my life this semester. One of my students-- one of those teenagers who is too cool for everything-- told the counselor that Theater is his favorite class. I'd love to take credit but almost all the material I'm using comes from Drama Notebook.

Thanks, Janea and team, for creating a comprehensive resource that allows me to start and end class with engaging, fun activities. My kids are becoming comfortable expressing themselves and learning how to do that in dramatic ways. Our little school hasn't had theater classes for a number of years, but suddenly there's a tremendous amount of positive energy about theater. Go ahead and spring for the 1 year membership... there's plenty here to keep your kids busy being AWESOME for a whole year. Totally worth it.

Loved the materials. They worked well for 3 workshops I facilitated for high school students in Rochester, NY.

I have never offered a review on any product or service but I am making an exception for an exceptional and excellent site. The resources and personal service enhanced my own life as well as the lives of young artists in my community. I was asked to reinstate the Community Children’s Theater in a small town in the heart of Appalachia. Drama Notebook Has been a “go-to” resource with games, skits, plays and videos-all worth every penny. Highly recommended!

Enjoy!

I'm on my 14th year teaching drama and theatre classes and JUST NOW JOINED "Drama Notebook". Good heavens, WHAT was I waiting for? I've created my own curriculum for years and have some dandy material, but sometimes I just sit and shake my head in fatigue and need fresh stuff. Enter ... "Drama Notebook". Whee HA! Their pieces are great and their suggestions are practical and fun. JOIN, JOIN, JOIN!!!

~ Jeanette (Johnson) Boynton, CA

Thank you so much Drama notebook! You saved my bacon! Trying to put a drama class together for the first time and of course at the last minute was daunting until I found your service. The kids loved the activities and the classroom management tips gave me the confidence I needed the get all the kids going in the same direction. Great job!

I have a degree in theater and have been teaching theatre to middle-school students for seven years now. Many of the other resources are so expensive! I am only one teacher with no budget. I have been able to show that this resource is worth purchasing. To not have to pay hundreds of dollars to attempt to put on a production is really a blessing. I love using the short plays and divide the classes up to perform.  I have wasted plenty of money buying books for "Plays/scripts for students/teens" and they are horrible. Drama Notebook scripts are fun, inventive, and appropriate for this age group.  The one year subscription has been far and above the best value for our department! We are happy to link to Drama Notebook on our school website, and to send photos for other teachers to see, as we are saving hundreds in royalties and other ridiculous fees!

Drama Notebook was my GO TO as a middle school drama teacher! The monologue contest was so much fun and they have great plays and games! Thank you Drama Notebook for all of the awesome resources and ideas!

I came across Drama Notebook after I was FRANTICALLY looking for theater classroom material.
I have my degree in performance, worked professionally on television and stage and Drama Notebook has a library of some of the best material online. If you stop here, put it in park! You've found your destination for all things acting.

Drama Notebook helped me so much this past year in the classroom! I taught drama classes for kids K-12 at a home-school co-op for the very first time and Drama Notebook was exactly what I needed. I’m a music teacher by trade and was intimidated by the thought of teaching drama at first. With all the warm ups, exercises, and intriguing activities and lesson plans, however, I was equipped to teach and personally inspired to keep going. My students had a blast and were asking to do many of the activities over again!

As part of a shared schooling program, I was charged with creating a semester-long 2hrs/week music and drama classes for three classes (K-2nd, 3rd-4th, 5th-9th) comprised of home-schooled, private schooled, and public schooled students. Drama Notebook was a lifesaver! Many of the students who started out being hesitant to try the class ended up loving it! For my two older classes, I mostly used the materials from the "Shakespeare for Kids" workshop/unit. It was a huge hit for students and parents alike. I found the unit easy to use and to adapt. Many of the other resources, such as the Beginning Acting lesson plans, were also extremely useful. I definitely recommend that all drama teachers subscribe. It is a phenomenal value. I also highly recommend the "Shakespeare for Kids" workshop.

Can't describe how impressed I am with this resource. It is the difference between "Wouldn't it be great to run a drama program?" and "We can run a drama program!" Amazing.

Just finishing up my second year of teaching Drama (7-12th grade) and Drama Notebook is my go-to place for quick lessons, scripts, and ideas. "How to Teach Your First Drama Class" was a godsend for my first year and many of the games have become class favorites. I love that I can download a script or a lesson for immediate use. We have had fun staging "Three Ghosts and a Jock" and "Anansi the Spider." Next year I plan to use Drama Notebook resources to help with my monologue and one act unit. Keep up the good work!

Just finished our performance of 'The Mystery of the Missing Medallion.' It was a huge success. The script was easy to follow for my drama club (4th & 5th graders) and they really embraced their roles. Each didn’t have long complicated lines or actions and the parents found it hysterical. I found Drama Notebook while trying to find a script for the club. We had no money to pay royalties and had a large group of kids that all needed a role. Drama Notebook was perfect as well as easy to use. I really wanted a mystery play as well and one that didn’t have violence which is a rare find. Love Drama Notebook!

I came across this resource in Pinterest. It is an absolute “must have” in your resource tool kit. There are many topics both full units and one off activities. Lots of lists that cross over for activities. I can’t tell you how many times Drama Notebook saved my day when I had not much of a lesson plan.  Another bonus is the price. Do yourself a favour and sign up! Thank you Drama Notebook! See you next year, hopefully with some new units! 😊
Ms. M., Calgary AB

Some really great resources that make drama really fun for students and easy for teachers. I teach grade 8 drama and they loved the 'Crime Scenes' activity and the 'Talking Objects.'

I enjoy the materials but when I could no longer afford it I could not find a way to cancel.

Hi Jody,

I'm sorry that you had trouble. We try to make it as easy as possible to cancel your subscription. I have emailed you and refunded your last payment. Please come back anytime!

Janea

Everything the folks have said about the resources is true! However, I want to talk about the customer service! I had some difficulty because of the browser I was using and even though I am subscribed, I was hitting the pay wall every time I wanted to download. The folks made sure I did not get double billed and helped me solve the browser issue.

I have used several websites for shows for students, and searched many more, and Drama Notebook is an amazing resource of really well-written shows, with many many options for all sizes of groups. I am so happy to have found it!

As an elementary theatre teacher I found the resources through Drama Notebook to be extremely useful. They have inspired and facilitated whole units of study, and came in handy during lesson planning for my maternity leave. I highly recommend subscribing!

This site was everything I was looking for! I have some specific needs in regard to parents being sensitive to words used. I contacted the support team who contacted the playwright and was given permission to change those few words. I was just going to cross them out, but "Ask and you shall receive!" The team of support people for this site are amazing. They have been generous with time, talent and energy. You will not be sorry that you tried this site!

My 9th-12th grade high school students performed the One-Hour version of The Tempest with great success! I would have loved to perform the play in its entirety but felt that 2-1/2 hours was just too much for a first-time Shakespearean play for our students and demographic. This was a perfect solution that kept the integrity and storyline in check. Thank you Drama Notebook!

I am so excited to have discovered this resource. I teach a 5/6 drama class and love finding material on this site that fits the criteria for our performance. I even contacted the author of the plays for advice and he was extremely helpful. I will use this resource again!

As a librarian who supports classroom teachers in their core subjects, I found Drama Notebook an invaluable resource for public speaking, literature support, and just plain fun for my middle elementary students. They loved your plays!! And I loved the range of materials. Thank you!

Drama Notebook has been a godsend for our community theatre. The scripts are high quality, the audiences love them and to top it all off, they're reasonably priced (usually just a link and some pictures!). The site is easy to navigate and is updated often. We're a fan!

I have purchased a few scripts from this site for in class use and they are wonderful. Their abridged Shakespeare is fantastic and definitely helps bring the Bards words to the classroom an easier task. Thanks for all you do!

I used two short plays from Drama Notebook in my ESL conversation class. The plays were useful in getting students to drop their inhibitions and practice the rhythms and sounds of spoken English. I am always looking for creative ways to induce students to listen and express themselves in English, and these plays were helpful. The students enjoyed them and so did I. Thank you, Drama Notebook!

Soooo glad I found drama notebook! I volunteered to teach two drama classes at our home-school co-op. I had been involved in drama productions as an actor and director before, but had never taught a class about acting. Drama Notebook had everything I needed! It was easy to start right away with their first class ideas and gave me so many ideas that I could teach this class for years! The kids all want me to keep it going next year too! The drama games helped the kids learn to work together and gave them confidence to get up in front of their peers to speak - both essential life-long skills. By the last day of class they were all substantially more dramatic - in a very good way!!

I just want to give a huge THANK YOU to "Drama Notebook!" I am finishing my first year teaching and this has been the first time in my life that I've ever done something with drama. I was so stressed when I started because I wasn't sure where to even begin when searching for a play. Now I'm having so much fun with my students finishing up our play and am excited for next year! This site is a life saver!

Drama Notebook made this year of being a freelance teaching artist a breeze! From the almost endless amount of theatre games to the simple yet engaging lesson plans. This site is an important part of any artist’s creative toolbox!

Drama Notebook is an amazing tool to help create and enhance drama lesson plans for new and established teachers everywhere! I was able to elevate my lessons every week using the theater games, lessons, and scripts available for download. The best part is that you're able to download the PDF of every lesson you purchase, meaning you'll have it for a lifetime! I teach both middle and high school classes, and many of the lessons I've downloaded from DN have included accommodations and variations for different levels of learners, making my job EASY as ever! Thank you!

I run a dram club as an after school activity at a school in Solomon Islands. The kids range from Grade 3 to grade 7. I have used many of your games in my drama class and the kids love them. Unfortunately, the school did not budget for any drama resources this year but I will put in a request for a subscription next year. Keep up the great work!

I am very impressed with all the material available. I have been involved in drama for over 30 years and it is refreshing to have material that it is safe to use in school settings. Thank you to all that are helping keep this material available. There are tons of scripts and lessons, and the majority of lessons are short and to the point. Very helpful in a club setting! Short lines in the plays are bite size for kids to memorize. This is important when they are already busy with so many other things in life. We used to be able to have our middle-schoolers come up with their material, but the school asked us to use actual scripts. This site gave us lots of great options to choose from. Thank you!

I teach English Home Language grade 10-12 and have to do three Shakespeare plays. This year I had to also teach one grade 8 class. The prescribed play for them was really boring. I decided to teach the Romayo & Julie instead. They absolutely loved it! Thank you so much for this wonderful play. I'm definitely going to use some of your other plays to spice things up in my literature class. Once again, thank you!

I used the Practice Scenes for Pairs for a Scene Study Unit of acting with my Drama 7 classes. This went very well! The lines were easy to memorize, the material was appropriate to their level, and it varied in style (both serious and comedic). Having this material 'in a pinch' really saved me. Thanks Drama Notebook!!

I only wish I had found this site sooner! I have my MFA and am a professional actor/director as well as a drama teacher. I only recently started teaching Drama at a public elementary school and it's so difficult to find affordable resources, and very short and easy plays for large classes. Thank you for this great resource!

I find it hard to get scripts for my younger students and struggled until I found this resource. Not only is the content great, but it is not super expensive.

I am working with after-school drama programs and Drama Notebook provided just the support I needed to have short appropriate plays for kids and it also gave me lots of ideas for writing plays with kids. Either way, Drama Notebook has been a key factor in delivering a successful program. Thanks!

I never intended to teach drama. I’m an ELA teacher, but in my district drama is an elective. This site was a lifesaver for me! My students are constantly saying that drama is their favorite class of the day, and the secret is this site. The activities are fun, creative, and plentiful! The site is easy to navigate, too. I love that members are notified about new activities. I always had plenty of new ideas on hand; plus the videos of the games can be great help. Even my subs have benefited. This site is one of a kind! Thanks for all you do, Drama Notebook!

The administration at our elementary school changed my position from general music to performance art. I had no idea how to proceed. I found Drama Notebook online and it saved my life! Skits, improvisation ideas, fantastic plays, an incredible wealth of information. I'm very happy to say it opened the doors to a highly successful stretch of interactive fun for the students and myself. I'll be retiring and am pretty sure they won't replace the position, budgets, you know, but if they do I will recommend Drama Notebook to the next person. Before I leave, we will be performing 'Rumplestiltskin Private Eye." Thank you for the treasure trove that you are!

I just used, "The Quest for Pixie Dust" by Hayley Cotton for a workshop of 8 - 12 year olds. We all had a lot of fun with it! It's been very difficult for me to find materials that this age group will get excited about, and Drama Notebook has many scripts that I know will work for us in the future as well!

Drama Notebook & Janea are worth their weight in gold! I would be truly lost without this resource and it’s always my very first go-to when I’m looking for material for my classes. The site is so easy to navigate around with an abundance of wonderful ideas to structure fantastic classes for children of all ages. I would recommend DN before any other resource. Janea is also on hand on a personal level for any one to one advice too. There’s no other website I know which can offer that! Thank you Janea!

I subscribed to Drama Notebook looking for a quick fix for a new class I was teaching of 5-9 year olds. This is an age group I do not usually work with and wanted to make sure I had something at their level. DN did not disappoint! Not only did I find a lesson for that day, but found several to use after and many for my older students as well. It was also nice to have the lists of improv starters to save time and brain power! The site was very easy to use and navigate and the newsletters keep you up to date on all new offerings. It is a great supplemental for any beginning acting class at any level.

I want to say a huge THANK YOU to Drama Notebook, and specifically to playwright Ruth Giordano for her wonderful script, "A Tree Called Aesop." My Grade 2 class of 18 seven and eight year olds performed her play last night at the Whistler Waldorf School in British Columbia, Canada. We loved her funny take on the classic fables, and the children enjoyed being playful, being silly, and the experience of acting! The children wrote & drew invitations with the title, her name and 'from Drama Notebook' to give to each of their families before the play. It was a big hit with the parents, the children - and having such a great script readily available made my life so much easier! Thank you, thank you. I have recommended Drama Notebook to other teachers in our little school already.

Yours,

Nina

I've been using Drama Notebook for almost 10 years! It just keeps getting better and better. I use it for K-8 Spanish teaching- so many of the ideas work beautifully for language teaching because it is all about communication. Gracias!

We recently started a Skills Academy at our school as a weekly reward on a Friday afternoon. As an amateur dramatics enthusiast of over 30 years I was asked to take a drama class as my SA which I was delighted to do. However performing is a lot different to teaching and I thank goodness for Drama Notebook!! With the help of resources from the website we had a wonderful time. The game ideas were a great way to start each session and the group had a choice of short plays to perform each week, which they did with relish! They each had their favourites and we managed to perform one or two to a small audience, albeit in a very basic way. We have all changed our particular groups for the next term but when drama is on the list again I will be back for more. Thank you for all your support.

Not just for kids! We have a tour team that works with K-12 youth as well as youth/young adults at risk. We conduct summer theatre camps and we also teach theatre classes for adults with disabilities. This has become our Go To website for the variety of resources offered. From classroom management to Shakespeare in many accessible forms you find what you need! When planning our very first camp, I talked one-on-one with Janea who had great advice and calmed my fears! We have been doing summer camps for 3 years now which have doubled in size every year! We will be tackling Macbeth this fall with our adults with disabilities! Thank you Drama Notebook!

As a Drama Teacher with 30 years experience it is easy to keep doing the same things you have been doing forever. Every year I challenge myself to add new material to my teaching. Drama Notebook has been a great go to. I always find things I haven't done or thought of. Thank you.

We have used Drama Notebook plays for the past few years as the "play presentation" portion of our summer camp. They are great because they have clear notations for number of players, staging, costuming and age group. The stories are interesting and our kids are reading without knowing they are reading! The younger campers comprise the audience and really enjoy the stories and look forward to the day when they are old enough to be in the play.

I used this site for plays that could be used for a younger group. I found the staff to be very helpful and willing to accommodate. I have a very "sensitive" audience and some of the wording in the Mark Twain plays were a bit much for the general class, though I personally loved them. The author allowed me to change the line and so I was able to print the play and not have to deal with any backlash from the original lines. I found that the way in which the have sorted the plays on the site was very helpful for selecting what you need. I was looking for simpler plays with around 8-10 parts. I cannot speak to a large production as far as the site's helpfulness. I would very much recommend this site to anyone. Teachers will not be sorry for the money invested is well worth it!