Introduction

This guide is designed to support both educators and students of the IB Diploma Programme Theatre course (Standard Level and Higher Level). The prompts are crafted to align with the course’s emphasis on inquiry, performance theory, and practical application. They are intended to be used with generative AI tools like Gemini, ChatGPT, or Claude to spark ideas, deepen understanding, and streamline the educational process.

How to Use These Prompts:

• Copy and Paste: Simply copy the prompt and paste it into your chosen AI tool.
• Adapt and Refine: Feel free to modify the prompts to better suit your specific needs. Add details about a particular practitioner, play, or concept you are studying.
• Specify the Role: The prompts often include a role for the AI (e.g., “Act as an IB Theatre examiner…”). This helps the AI generate a more relevant and useful response.
• Define the Format: Many prompts suggest a format for the output (e.g., “in a table,” “as a bulleted list,” “as a 500-word essay”). This will give you a more structured and actionable response.

Section 1 – Educator Prompts (50)

Stage 1: Planning

1. Syllabus Breakdown: “Act as an experienced IB Theatre teacher. Create a year-long pacing guide for the IB Theatre (HL) course, breaking down the syllabus into units, key activities, and suggested timelines. The output should be a table.”
2. Unit Plan – Practitioner: “Generate a 4-week unit plan on the theatre practitioner Constantin Stanislavski. The plan should include weekly learning objectives, key readings, practical exercises, and formative assessment ideas for an IB Theatre class.”
3. Unit Plan – World Theatre: “Design a unit plan for an IB Theatre class on Noh Theatre from Japan. Include an introduction to its history, key conventions, performance skills, and a summative assessment task that connects theory to practice.”
4. Lesson Plan – Collaborative Project: “Create a detailed lesson plan for a 90-minute class introducing the IB Theatre collaborative project. The lesson should include an ice-breaker, an explanation of the assessment criteria, and a brainstorming activity.”
5. Resource List: “Generate a curated list of online resources (videos, articles, digital archives) for an IB Theatre unit on Bertolt Brecht and Epic Theatre. For each resource, provide a brief description of its relevance.”
6. Connecting Components: “Propose three different ways to structure the IB Theatre (SL) course so that the learning in the ‘theorist,’ ‘world theatre,’ and ‘collaborative project’ components is clearly interconnected.”
7. HL vs. SL Differentiation: “Create a table that clearly outlines how you would differentiate the learning activities and assessment expectations for the ‘Director’s Notebook’ task between SL and HL students.”
8. Developing Inquiry Questions: “Generate a list of 10 provocative and open-ended inquiry questions to guide a unit on Theatre of the Absurd for an IB Theatre class.”
9. Staging a Text: “I am teaching the play A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen. Suggest three different theatrical approaches (e.g., immersive, minimalist, Brechtian) to staging the final scene. For each approach, explain the directorial vision and potential impact on the audience.”
10. Choosing a Practitioner: “My students need to choose a theatre practitioner for their research presentation. Create a list of 15 diverse practitioners from different time periods and cultures, with a one-sentence summary of their key contribution to theatre.”

Stage 2: Delivery

1. Warm-up Exercises: “Generate a list of 10 physical and vocal warm-up exercises suitable for the start of an IB Theatre class. For each exercise, explain its purpose (e.g., improving articulation, building ensemble).”
2. Introducing a Concept: “Explain the concept of Verfremdungseffekt (alienation effect) in Brechtian theatre as if you were explaining it to a 16-year-old. Use a modern-day example to illustrate the idea.”
3. Workshop Ideas: “Design a 60-minute practical workshop on the principles of Commedia dell’arte. The workshop should include activities for exploring stock characters, lazzi, and improvisation.”
4. Staging Challenge: “My students are struggling to stage a scene with a lot of subtext. Provide three practical exercises they can do to explore and communicate the unspoken thoughts and feelings of their characters.”
5. Design Element Exploration: “Create a short presentation outline for a lesson on the role of lighting design in creating mood and atmosphere. Include key terminology and examples from famous productions.”
6. Script Analysis: “Take the opening scene of Shakespeare’s Macbeth. Create a set of guiding questions to help IB Theatre students analyze the text from the perspective of a director, an actor, and a designer.”
7. Guest Speaker Simulation: “Act as the theatre practitioner Augusto Boal. Write a short speech for an IB Theatre class explaining the principles and purpose of Forum Theatre.”
8. Connecting Theory to Practice: “My students have just studied the theories of Antonin Artaud. Suggest a short, practical performance task that would allow them to explore his concept of the ‘Theatre of Cruelty’.”
9. Peer Feedback Structure: “Create a structured feedback protocol (e.g., ‘I noticed…’, ‘I wondered…’) for students to use when watching and responding to each other’s devised work in progress.”
10. Differentiated Instruction: “I have a student with a strong interest in costume design and another who is a gifted actor. Suggest how I can differentiate a task on character development in Molière’s Tartuffe to cater to their individual strengths.”

Stage 3: Assessment

1. Quiz Creation: “Generate a 10-question multiple-choice quiz on the key conventions of Kathakali. Include an answer key.”
2. Essay Prompt Generation: “Create three different essay prompts for the Director’s Notebook (HL) based on the play Topdog/Underdog by Suzan-Lori Parks. Each prompt should focus on a different aspect of directing.”
3. Rubric Development: “Act as an IB Theatre examiner. Create a student-friendly rubric for the ‘Research Presentation’ task, breaking down the official IB criteria into ‘I can’ statements.”
4. Mock Exam Questions: “Generate a mock exam paper for the IB Theatre (HL) written examination, including questions on an unseen text and a question connecting a studied practitioner to a play.”
5. Formative Assessment Idea: “Suggest a quick and engaging formative assessment activity to check students’ understanding of the ‘moment of theatre’ they have chosen for their Solo Theatre Piece.”
6. Feedback Generation: “A student has submitted a draft of their Director’s Notebook introduction. The draft is purely descriptive. Provide constructive feedback that guides the student to be more analytical and to articulate a clear directorial vision.”
7. Exemplar Analysis: “Here is a sample response for an IB Theatre assessment task [paste sample here]. Act as an examiner and provide a score for each criterion, with a justification for your marks.”
8. Checklist for Students: “Create a final checklist for students to review before submitting their Director’s Notebook. The checklist should cover both content requirements and formatting guidelines.”
9. Oral Exam Preparation: “Generate a list of 15 potential questions an examiner might ask a student during the interview for their Solo Theatre Piece.”
10. Connecting Assessment to Learning: “Explain how the assessment criteria for the Collaborative Project can be used as a tool for learning and development throughout the devising process, not just as a final evaluation.”

Stage 4: Enrichment

1. Interdisciplinary Connection: “Suggest a project that connects IB Theatre with IB History, focusing on the political and social context of a specific theatrical movement (e.g., German Expressionism).”
2. Creative Exploration: “Generate a creative writing prompt for an IB Theatre student: ‘Write a monologue from the perspective of a minor character in a play we have studied, revealing their secret point of view on the main events.'”
3. Theatre for Social Change: “Create a project outline for an after-school club where IB Theatre students use the techniques of Theatre for Social Change to explore an issue relevant to their local community.”
4. Playwriting Competition: “Design the rules and a judging rubric for a 10-minute playwriting competition for high school students.”
5. Film Adaptation Analysis: “Choose a play that has been adapted into a film (e.g., A Streetcar Named Desire). Create a worksheet that guides students to compare and contrast the directorial choices in both mediums.”
6. Local Theatre Review: “Create a template for an IB Theatre student to use when writing a critical review of a local professional theatre production. The template should prompt them to analyze acting, directing, and design.”
7. Career Exploration: “Generate a list of 10 potential career paths for someone with a degree in theatre, beyond just acting and directing. For each career, provide a brief description of the role.”
8. Theatrical Challenge: “Devise a ’30-day theatrical challenge’ for your students to complete over a holiday break, with a small, creative task for each day (e.g., ‘Day 1: Watch a person for 5 minutes and create a character based on their walk’).”
9. Building a Theatre Library: “Recommend 10 essential plays from diverse genres and cultures that should be in every IB Theatre classroom library.”
10. Podcast Project: “Outline a project where students create a podcast series, with each episode focusing on a different theatre practitioner they have studied.”
11. Digital Portfolio: “Suggest a structure and list of contents for a student to create a digital portfolio showcasing their work and development throughout the IB Theatre course.”
12. Alumni Connection: “Write an email template to invite a former IB Theatre student, now working in the industry, to speak to your current class.”
13. Exploring a New Genre: “My class is interested in Physical Theatre. Suggest three companies (like Frantic Assembly or DV8) and a key performance of each that they could research.”
14. The Director’s Vision: “A student wants to set Shakespeare’s The Tempest on a spaceship. Help them brainstorm how this conceptual shift would impact the characters, design elements, and key themes.”
15. Ethical Considerations: “Generate a list of ethical considerations for students to discuss before embarking on a devised theatre piece that deals with sensitive or controversial subject matter.”
16. Fundraising Idea: “Suggest a creative fundraising idea for the theatre department that also serves as a performance opportunity for the students.”
17. Community Engagement: “Propose a project where IB Theatre students could run a drama workshop for younger students in a local primary school.”
18. Technical Theatre Workshop: “Design a beginner’s workshop on sound design, where students learn to find and edit sound cues for a short scene using free software.”
19. Parent Communication: “Write a short newsletter article for parents explaining the skills their children are developing in IB Theatre, such as collaboration, critical thinking, and creative problem-solving.”
20. End-of-Year Reflection: “Create a set of reflective questions for students to answer at the end of the two-year course, prompting them to think about their growth as theatre-makers and thinkers.”

Section 2 – Student Prompts (50)

Stage 1: Understanding

1. Concept Clarification: “Explain the difference between ‘presentational’ and ‘representational’ theatre. Provide one clear example of each.”
2. Practitioner’s Philosophy: “Summarize the key ideas of theatre practitioner Jerzy Grotowski and his concept of ‘Poor Theatre’ in 300 words.”
3. Play Summary: “Provide a scene-by-scene summary of Act 1 of Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett.”
4. Character Analysis: “Describe the character of Blanche DuBois from A Streetcar Named Desire. What are her objectives, motivations, and key relationships?”
5. Theatrical Terminology: “Define the following theatrical terms and provide an example for each: proscenium arch, fourth wall, subtext, catharsis, stock character.”
6. Historical Context: “Describe the social and historical context of Ancient Greek theatre. How did this context influence the plays of Sophocles?”
7. World Theatre Tradition: “What are the key performance conventions of Beijing Opera? Explain the meaning of the different colors used in the makeup.”
8. Comparing Practitioners: “Create a table comparing and contrasting the approaches to actor training of Constantin Stanislavski and Bertolt Brecht.”
9. Director’s Role: “What is the role of a director in the creation of theatre? List five key responsibilities.”
10. Design Elements: “Explain how costume design can be used to communicate information about a character’s personality, status, and journey.”

Stage 2: Practicing

1. Brainstorming for Devising: “I need to create a devised theatre piece based on the stimulus ‘a locked door.’ Generate five different concepts or storylines for a 5-minute performance.”
2. Monologue Selection: “I am a 17-year-old female actor. Suggest three suitable monologues for an audition from contemporary plays. One should be comedic, and two should be dramatic.”
3. Directorial Idea: “I have to direct a scene from Romeo and Juliet. Give me a unique directorial concept that sets it in a modern context and explain how this would affect the staging.”
4. Character Development: “I am playing the role of Creon in Antigone. Give me five questions I can ask myself to better understand his motivations and internal conflict.”
5. Research Presentation Ideas: “I need to choose a world theatre tradition for my research presentation. Suggest three lesser-known but fascinating traditions and why they would be a good choice for this assessment.”
6. Solo Piece Stimulus: “Generate three different stimuli (a quote, an image, and a historical event) that could be used as a starting point for the Solo Theatre Piece, based on the theories of Pina Bausch.”
7. Collaborative Conflict Resolution: “My group for the collaborative project is having a disagreement about the artistic direction of our piece. Act as a mediator and suggest a three-step process for us to reach a consensus.”
8. Scene Work: “I am rehearsing a scene with a partner. Suggest a practical acting exercise we can do to improve our connection and listening skills on stage.”
9. Design Brainstorm: “I am the set designer for a production of The Crucible. Brainstorm three different design concepts for the set, one minimalist, one realistic, and one symbolic.”
10. Director’s Notebook Entry: “Write a sample entry for a Director’s Notebook (250 words) analyzing a key moment from the play Woyzeck and explaining your directorial intention for that moment.”

Stage 3: Revising

1. Flashcard Creation: “Generate a set of 20 flashcards for revising the key terms and concepts related to Epic Theatre. Each card should have a term on one side and a definition on the other.”
2. Practice Quiz: “Create a 15-question short-answer quiz on the play Death and the King’s Horseman by Wole Soyinka. Include an answer key.”
3. Essay Outline: “Create a detailed essay outline for the following prompt: ‘Discuss how a director could use theatrical elements to create tension in a production of Harold Pinter’s The Birthday Party.'”
4. Practitioner Summary Sheet: “Create a one-page summary sheet for the practitioner Vsevolod Meyerhold, covering his biography, key theories (like Biomechanics), and influence on theatre.”
5. Revision Schedule: “Create a 4-week revision schedule for the final IB Theatre (HL) written exam. The schedule should allocate time for reviewing plays, practitioners, and practicing unseen text analysis.”
6. Self-Assessment: “Act as an IB Theatre teacher. Give me a checklist of questions to ask myself to self-assess my final performance for the Solo Theatre Piece against the IB criteria.”
7. Explaining a Quote: “Explain the meaning and significance of this quote from Peter Brook: ‘I can take any empty space and call it a bare stage.’ How does it relate to his work?”
8. Connecting Ideas: “Draw a mind map that connects the ideas of Antonin Artaud, the conventions of Balinese theatre, and the potential staging of a scene from Sarah Kane’s 4.48 Psychosis.”
9. Justifying Choices: “I’ve decided to use minimal set and symbolic props in my directorial vision for Medea. Help me write a strong justification for these choices in my Director’s Notebook.”
10. Remembering Details: “Generate a mnemonic or other memory aid to help me remember the different stock characters of Commedia dell’arte and their key attributes.”

Stage 4: Preparing for Assessment

1. Director’s Notebook – Final Check: “Act as my peer. Review this section of my Director’s Notebook [paste text here] and give me two commendations (what I did well) and two recommendations (how I could improve it).”
2. Solo Piece – Articulating Intention: “Help me clearly articulate my artistic intentions for my Solo Theatre Piece. I am exploring the theme of ‘memory’ using techniques from Tadashi Suzuki. My performance is about…”
3. Research Presentation – Structuring: “Provide a clear structure for the 15-minute Research Presentation, including timings for the introduction, practical demonstration, and conclusion.”
4. Collaborative Project – Individual Contribution: “Help me write a 100-word statement that clearly explains my individual contribution to the collaborative project, focusing on my role as the group’s dramaturg.”
5. Unseen Text Practice: “Here is an unseen text [paste a short scene or poem]. Act as an IB examiner and give me a set of questions a director might ask when first approaching this text for performance.”
6. Essay Writing Practice: “Write a model introductory paragraph for an essay on how Robert Wilson uses light and space to create meaning in his productions.”
7. Improving Vocabulary: “Generate a list of 20 sophisticated and subject-specific verbs that I can use in my written work to describe theatrical processes and impacts (e.g., ‘evokes,’ ‘juxtaposes,’ ‘subverts’).”
8. Mock Interview: “Act as my teacher and conduct a mock interview with me about my Collaborative Project. Ask me three questions about our process, our challenges, and my personal learning.”
9. Final Exam Mindset: “Give me five practical tips for managing my time and staying focused during the final IB Theatre written exam.”
10. Understanding Command Terms: “Explain the difference between the IB command terms ‘analyze,’ ‘evaluate,’ and ‘discuss’ in the context of a theatre essay.”
11. Director’s Notebook – HL Extension: “I am an HL student. What kind of analysis and reflection do I need to include in my Director’s Notebook that goes beyond the SL requirements?”
12. Solo Piece – Theorist Connection: “My Solo Piece is about a personal experience. How can I ensure I am making clear and meaningful connections to my chosen theatre theorist throughout the performance, not just in my written rationale?”
13. Research Presentation – Audience Engagement: “Suggest three ways to make my Research Presentation more engaging for the audience, beyond just speaking and showing slides.”
14. Collaborative Project – Documenting Process: “What are the best ways to document our process for the Collaborative Project? Suggest a list of materials we should be collecting for our portfolio.”
15. Exam Question Deconstruction: “Deconstruct this exam question: ‘To what extent can the work of one theatre practitioner be seen as a reaction to the work of another?’ What are the key terms and what is the question asking me to do?”
16. Citing Sources: “Explain how to properly cite sources (plays, critical essays, videos) in my written work for IB Theatre, using a standard format like MLA.”
17. Finding a Play for the Director’s Notebook: “I need to choose a play for my Director’s Notebook. My interests are in political theatre and non-linear narratives. Suggest three suitable plays and briefly explain why they would be a good choice.”
18. Refining a Thesis Statement: “My current thesis statement is ‘Brecht used theatre to teach his audience.’ Help me refine this into a more specific, arguable, and sophisticated thesis statement for a high-level essay.”
19. Final Review of Portfolio: “Act as an IB examiner. What are the top three things you look for when assessing the process portfolio for the Collaborative Project? Give me a checklist to review my own portfolio.”
20. Confidence Boost: “I’m feeling nervous about my final solo performance. Give me a short, encouraging pep talk that reminds me of the skills I’ve developed and the purpose of the task.”

Section 3 – Bonus Universal Prompt (1)

1. The ‘What If’ Scenario: “Act as a creative dramaturg. What if [insert theatre practitioner, e.g., ‘Julie Taymor’] were to direct a production of [insert non-theatrical source, e.g., ‘the video game The Last of Us‘ or ‘the album Lemonade by Beyoncé’] for the stage? Generate a detailed concept proposal, including the directorial vision, key theatrical conventions to be used, potential design ideas for set and costume, and how the original source’s core themes would be translated into a live performance.”