Blair Cadden
Welcome To Blair's Page
Blair Cadden is a Boston-based director, theatre-maker and teaching artist. She holds a BA in Theatre from Wofford College and an MFA in Directing from Boston University. Blair is originally from Charleston, SC, where she was the co-founding Artistic Director of the theatre company 5th Wall Productions. Blair has taught acting and public speaking to students of all ages, from kindergarteners to young adults, at Lexington Children's Theatre, Spartanburg Youth Theatre, Boston University, and more. Whether it sparks a lifelong love of theatre, or simply brings more confidence and creativity to their everyday lives, Blair is so excited to share her experience and passion with the young people here at WhizKid.me!
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my Classes
class plan
Public Speaking - Spring Semester
Week | Session Topic/Theme | Class Structure Students will do & learn: | Materials needed |
1 | Vocal Expression March 6 | Intro: Introduce ourselves to our classmates. Warm-ups for diction, projection, and movement Content: Students will discover the many tools we can use to increase their vocal expression. They will then put these into practice through a series of exercises and finally a short speech describing an experience where they felt a strong emotion, using vocal expression to bring that emotion to life. Closing: Review and recap – What are the different ways we can add vocal expression? Why is it important to make our voices expressive when we speak? | |
2 | Physical Expression March 13 | Intro: Introduce ourselves to our classmates. Warm-ups for diction, projection, and movement Content: Students will discover how posture, gesture, and physical expression can help us look and feel more confident, and help make our speeches more interesting and engaging. Students will practice adding physical expression to a series of short speeches from familiar sources (nursery rhymes, poems, commercials, etc). Closing: Review and recap – Why is the body an important tool for public speaking? How can we make ourselves appear more confident and expressive? | |
3 | What’s the Big Idea? March 20 | Intro: Introduce ourselves to our classmates. Warm-ups for diction, projection, and movement Content: Students will focus on identifying the BIG IDEA for their speech, and on choosing specific details and examples to support it. We will put this into practice by planning and sharing a short speech about a favorite hobby or activity. Closing: Review and recap – Why is it important to have a main idea when planning a speech? How can we organize our speeches to make sure that main idea is always clear? | Suggested: paper and pen or pencil. |
3 | Show and Tell: Visual Helpers for Speeches March 27 | Intro: Introduce ourselves to our classmates. Warm-ups for voice and movement Content: Together, we will discuss and brainstorm visual tools (pictures, props, charts, illustrations) that can be used along with a speech to help our listeners follow along and understand. Students will then prepare a short speech to teach us about a favorite hobby or activity, choosing 3 visual tools to help communicate the information. Closing: Review and recap – What did we learn? How did your classmates’ pictures help you understand more about their topic? | 3 pages of blank paper. Markers, colored pencils, or crayons to draw with. |
4 | Speech to Persuade April 3 | Intro: Introduce ourselves to our classmates. Warm-ups for diction, projection, and movement Content: Together, we will discuss strong tactics for persuasive speeches: what makes a speaker convincing? Students will then use those tactics in a short speech that aims to persuade or convince our classmates to do something positive. (Like try your favorite hobby, volunteer for a cause you care about, etc.) Closing: Review and recap – What are good tactics for a convincing speech? What are things to avoid? What did your classmates say in their speeches that was convincing? | Suggested: paper and pen or pencil |
5 | Debate April 10 | Intro: Introduce ourselves to our classmates. Warm-ups for diction, projection, and movement Content: Students will be put into two groups to engage in a debate over a playful topic. Each group will work together to create a convincing speech with specific reasons and examples to support their side. After hearing both sides, students will also practice thinking quickly on their feet to respond to the other group’s speech. Closing: Review and recap – What makes for a convincing argument? What should we do and not do when having a debate? | Suggested: paper and pen or pencil |
6 | Storytelling April 17 | Intro: Introduce ourselves to our classmates. Warm-ups for diction, projection, and movement Content: Students will explore techniques for speaking clearly, and for expressive voice and gesture. We will also discuss the importance of a clear beginning, middle, and end for a story. Then, students will put these tools to use when they tell their classmates a familiar story, like a fairy tale or folk tale, using as much physical and vocal expression as possible. Closing: Review and recap – What did we learn? What tools did we find for making our speech exciting and engaging? | Suggested: paper and pen or pencil |
7 | Campaign Speech April 24 | Intro: Introduce ourselves to our classmates. Warm-ups for diction, projection, and movement Content: Students will imagine that they are running for class president, team captain, or another leadership role. We will discuss what it means to make a convincing case about why we should vote for you, as well as the importance of being truthful and only making promises you believe you can keep! Closing: Review and recap – What makes a convincing campaign speech? What are things to be avoided? | Suggested: paper and pen or pencil |
8 | Speaking with Enthusiasm May 1 | Intro: Introduce ourselves to our classmates. Warm-ups for diction, projection, and movement Content: No matter the subject, a speaker should always appear enthusiastic in order to engage their audience. Students will be assigned a “boring” item. Using lots of vocal and physical expression, they will deliver a speech to convince their listeners that this is an exciting new toy they must own! Closing: Review and recap – What did you see or hear a classmate do that helped show their enthusiasm? Why is it important to be enthusiastic when we speak? | Suggested: paper and pen or pencil |
9 | Speech to Celebrate May 8 | Intro: Introduce ourselves to our classmates. Warm-ups for diction, projection, and movement Content: Students will practice celebratory speeches by imagining that they are presenting an award to a friend or family member. In their speech, they will celebrate that person by describing what makes them special and sharing some fun, positive memories with that person. Speakers will practice speaking with passion and specificity about someone important to them. Closing: Review and recap – What did a classmate say that helped you understand why their special person was so wonderful? What are helpful things to remember when making a speech to celebrate someone you care about? | Suggested: paper and pen or pencil |
10 | Speech to Teach: How-to May 15 | Intro: Introduce ourselves to our classmates. Warm-ups for diction, projection, and movement Content: Students will deliver a “how to” speech explaining the step-by-step process of making their favorite sandwich or snack. We will focus on how to include all of the necessary information, how to organize that information, and how to use props, visuals, and demonstration to make sure that anyone listening could follow along. Closing: How can we make a how-to speech more clear for our audience? What tools can we use, and what information must we include? | Paper and markers, crayons, or colored pencils to draw with. |
11 | Speech to Teach: Guided Tour May 22 | Intro: Introduce ourselves to our classmates. Warm-ups for diction, projection, and movement Content: Students will prepare and share a speech describing their town, street, or neighborhood. They will focus on using lots of descriptive detail, with the goal of creating a clear picture of what makes their place special and unique. Closing: How can we use descriptive words to teach about something? How can we use these details to support a big idea about the thing we’re describing? | Suggested: paper and pen or pencil |
12 | Speech to Teach: Q&A May 31 | Intro: Introduce ourselves to our classmates. Warm-ups for diction, projection, and movement Content: Students will practice remaining confident and thinking on their feet during a question and answer session. Each student will give a brief intro to a topic they know well, then answer questions from classmates about that subject. Closing: What is challenging about answering questions in the moment? How can we stay calm and confident even when we don’t know what questions to expect? |
A-List Actors - Spring Semester
Week | Session Topic/Theme | Class Structure Students will do & learn: | Materials needed |
1 | Auditions March 1 | Intro: Introduce ourselves to our classmates. Warm-ups for voice, body, and imagination. Content: Students will learn the basics of auditioning for a play or movie: What is an audition? How do you prepare? What are headshots and resumes? We will then practice with a mock audition, where each student will get the chance to practice making strong choices while performing a short monologue. Closing: Review and recap – What are auditions? How do you prepare for one? | |
2 | The Actor’s Tools: Body March 8 | Intro: Introduce ourselves to our classmates. Warm-ups for voice, body, and imagination. Content: Content: Students will explore all of the different ways the body can be used to create characters, express emotion, and tell stories–without the actor ever saying a word! Closing: Review and recap – How do actors use their bodies to create characters and tell stories? What movement tools can we use? | Set up for class in a space where you have plenty of room to move. |
3 | The Actor’s Tools: Voice March 15 | Intro: Introduce ourselves to our classmates. Warm-ups for voice, body, and imagination. Content: Students will explore all of the different ways the voice can be used to create characters, express emotion, and tell stories. We will focus on speaking loudly, clearly, and with expression. Closing: Recap and review – How do actors use their voices to create characters and tell stories? What vocal tools can we use? | |
4 | The Actor’s Tools: Imagination March 22 | Intro: Introduce ourselves to our classmates. Warm-ups for voice, body, and imagination. Content: Students will engage their imaginations to explore fictional settings and circumstances. Combined with body and voice, they will use all of the actor’s tools to explore how their character would behave in this imaginary situation. Closing: Review and recap – Why is it important for actors to use their imagination? What kinds of things do we need to imagine when we’re acting? | |
5 | Physical Expression: Going Further! March 29 | Intro: Introduce ourselves to our classmates. Warm-ups for voice, body, and imagination. Content: Students will explore how actors can use their bodies not just to show realistic behavior, but also as a tool for emotional expression. We will explore different ways of using our bodies expressively, including some simple choreography. Closing: Review and recap – What are some instances where actors might need to use their body in a less realistic, more expressive way? How can this add to a story? | Set up for class in a space where you have plenty of room to move. |
6 | Building a Story: Who, What, When, Where, Why April 5 | Intro: Introduce ourselves to our classmates. Warm-ups for voice, body, and imagination. Content: Students will explore the major questions actors must answer about a story or script, and answer those to create the beginnings of an original story and characters. We will use our bodies and imaginations to explore the world and situations we are creating. Closing: Review and recap – What are the big questions actors need to answer about the story or script they are acting out? | |
7 | Building a Story: Conflict and Plot April 12 | Intro: Introduce ourselves to our classmates. Warm-ups for voice, body, and imagination. Content: Students will discuss the basics of plot structure, including the need for a conflict or problem. Students will work together to create and act out a story that involves all of their characters working together to solve a problem. Closing: Why do stories need a conflict or problem? What are the different kinds of conflict we might have? | |
8 | Working as an Ensemble April 19 | Intro: Introduce ourselves to our classmates. Warm-ups for voice, body, and imagination. Content: One of the best things about acting is that we usually get to do it as an ensemble, or a team! Today, we will use collaborative exercises to focus on teamwork, listening, and collaborating with a group to tell a story together. Closing: Recap and review – Why is it important for actors to work together as an ensemble? What are useful skills to keep in mind when working with others to tell a story? | |
9 | Improvisation April 26 | Intro: Introduce ourselves to our classmates. Warm-ups for voice, body, and imagination. Content: Students will explore or review and build on their improvisation skills. Through exercises, games, and improvised scenes, they will practice the art of saying “yes and” to tell a story completely off-the-cuff. Closing: Review and recap – What is improv? What are some tips and tricks that can help us work together to improvise a story? | |
10 | Creating the World of the Story: Costumes May 3 | Intro: Introduce ourselves to our classmates. Warm-ups for voice, body, and imagination. Content: Students will discuss costumes–what they are and what they can add to a story. Then, they will create and share a costume design for a character of their own. Conclusion: What are costumes? What can they tell us about a character? | Paper and drawing materials |
11 | Creating the World of the Story: Scenery May 10 | Intro: Introduce ourselves to our classmates. Warm-ups for voice, body, and imagination. Content: Students will discuss scenery–what it is and what it can add to a story. Then, they will create and share a scene design for a particular kind of play or story (fairy tale, sci-fi, etc). Conclusion: What is scenery? What can it tell us about the world of the play? | Paper and drawing materials |
12 | Creating the World of the Story: Props May 17 | Intro: Introduce ourselves to our classmates. Warm-ups for voice, body, and imagination. Content: Students will discuss props — what they are and what they can add to a story. We will use our imaginations to turn regular household objects into props to be used by different kinds of characters. Closing: Review and recap – What are props? How do they add to a performance? | One or two random household objects |
Using The Class Plan
Please Note: Both Age Groups (if applicable) will follow the same class plan structure and content. The content delivery will be tailored to the age group.