Laura has been deeply involved in K-12 education for the past 20 years. She has worked in schools as a classroom teacher, teaching artist, visiting performer, teacher educator, and consultant. As the Director of Education for Arena Stage, one of the largest regional theaters in the U.S., she created and oversaw a multitude of arts-integration programs for students, teachers, and administrators. For the past several years Laura has been on the faculty of George Mason University in the Graduate School of Education, Initiatives in Educational Transformation, a master’s program for practicing K-12 teachers. Laura is also a graduate of the Teacher Artist Institute, a training organization that brings artists and classroom teachers together in partnership so they may collectively foster arts integration and 21st century education.
testimonials
“The whole play and residency was filled to the top and overflowing with exciting, thrilling, and hilarious action.
-Student, Southern Middle School
Responding to performance of A STORY OF HOPE and peace-building residency.
“As a workshop leader, Laura was thoughtful, understanding, patient, and skillful.”
-Carole Whelan, Teacher
Oyster Elementary School
Responding to teacher development day-long workshop
“The workshop and performance created a wonderful day for both the students and the teachers.”
-Pam Land,
Drama Coordinator, Howard County
Responding to performance for students and workshop for teachers.
K-12
Teacher Development
and
Student Residencies
K-!2 workshops and residencies are often taught in conjunction with performances of A STORY OF HOPE: THE HOLOCAUST, written and performed by Laura Zam. This one-woman tour-de-force is a 45-minute version of Zam’s critically-acclaimed play COLLATERALLY DAMAGED. In this K-12 version, Zam explores how one person might make a difference in shaping society, and
even preventing war
For more information and bookings,
scroll to bottom of page!
Teachers and Administrators
using arts-integration to increase student performance and resiliency while decreasing violence
This teacher development session can be done as a single workshop or multi-session residency. Here, teachers learn to use monologue writing as a tool for understanding self and others. All content is presented in such a way that its activities may be easily replicated with students for curricular as well as life skills purposes. Additionally, the workshop shows teachers how to use the arts in highly targeted ways, bridging the achievement gap and providing outlets for impulsive behavior. Another strong component of this workshop is its emphasis on empathy as a tool for community building in school environments--including students administrators, and school staff. Curricular connections are ample in these subject areas: Theater; Language Arts; Health; Social Studies/History; and Family and Consumer Sciences. Optionally, this residency can be combined with a single performance of A STORY OF HOPE: THE HOLOCAUST, the latter highlights resiliency skills put to use in extreme circumstances.
Arts-Integrated Student Residencies
Using Drama to Develop CONFLICT RESOLUTION Skills
Grades 6-12
This arts-integrated residency aligns directly with national standards in these subject areas: Theater; Language Arts; Health; Social Studies/History; and Family and Consumer Sciences. Due to its emphasis on conflict resolution, it can also be easily aligned with any behavioral management system the school has put in place, or any kind of life-skills resiliency work. In the residency, students learn skills in dramatic writing, listening, conflict resolution, emotional awareness, and peaceful solutions for self and others. This residency is designed to accompany a single performance of A STORY OF HOPE: THE HOLOCAUST
Building resiliency through DRAMA
Grades 6-12
This residency explores the art of the monologue as a tool for understanding one’s emotions (stress and violence reduction); empathizing with others (conflict resolution); creating a passionate vision for one’s life (student motivation for learning); and setting goals to achieve that vision (crucial life skills). Students learn dramatic structure as well as acting techniques for developing character. Ultimately, students create their own monologue, which they can perform for others in culminating performance. This residency also aligns with national standards in these subject areas: Theater, Language Arts.
Partial List of Venues and Schools
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•The Kennedy Center (DC)
•The National Theater (DC)
•Lincoln Center (NY)
•The Public Theater (NY)
•Youth Drama Festival (Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina)
•Columbia Academy (MD)
•George Mason University (VA)
•Heather Ridge School (MD)
•Theater on Celetna Street (Prague, CZ)
•U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum (DC)
•Humbolt State University (CA)
•The University of the South (TN)
•Redland Middle School (MD)
•Blessed Sacrament School (DC)
•McDonogh School (MD)
•Arlington Public Library (VA)
Beltsville Adventist School (MD)
•The Walner Theater (Utrecht, The Netherlands)
•Hooker Dunham Theater (VT)
•Ensemble Studio Theatre (NY)
•The National Press Club (DC)
•The Prague Workshop
(Prague, CZ)
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•Southern Middle School (MD)
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•Brooklyn Park Middle School (MD)
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•Franklin Middle School (MD)
A Story of Hope: The Holocaust
This is an autobiographical one-person play based on Collaterally Damaged. In this play, Laura journeys to Eastern Europe to learn more about her mother’s experiences during the Holocaust – her mother survived two concentration camps, two Nazi ghettos, and a famous death march. The play documents these events, but also connects the Holocaust to the world we live in today. Above all else, the play asks: How can we prevent these kinds of tragedies from happening again? Students will be given an authentic and challenging, yet humorous and fun, theatrical experience that explores issues very much relevant today.
Grade Level: 6-8; 9-12. Maryland bookings, contact Young Audiences of Maryland, Arts for Learning. All others, click here.
