In the Classroom

We custom design arts-integrated workshops and artist residencies to transform the classroom into a space of experiential learning. Our work helps students and faculty engage more deeply with what they are learning, experience their academic subject in a new light, and strengthen the community in their classroom when they use the tools of theatre:

• Storytelling

• Movement

• Performance

• Writing

• Ensemble-building

“The usual classroom experience is so ‘up here.’ It’s very sedentary. You’re here at the desk, taking notes, you’ve been sitting in this chair for so long without moving. To have a class with Beyond the Page was the opposite of that. It was full-body engagement.”

– Student in Professor Deb Evans’ Sophomore Seminar

What Does a Class Visit Look Like?

Here are three recent examples.

Economics: Omitted Variables

Economics Professor Tanya Byker wanted her regression analysis class to deeply understand the concept of “omitted variable bias.” She planned to test their comprehension in their midterm exam. She asked Beyond the Page for help. BtP invited her students to think about false assumptions imposed on them. For one student, it was that people saw him as a football player but overlooked his love for poetry and music. They omitted these variables of his identity. Students worked in pairs to create one-minute personal stories that illustrated how the omission of variables can lead to false conclusions. Weeks later, one student excitedly reported that he aced Professor Byker’s midterm question about omitted variable bias. These students internalized this crucial economics concept and forged connections with each other beyond their initial assumptions. 

Conflict Transformation: Letting Go of Fear

Professor Melissa Hammerle brought Beyond the Page into her Mindfulness and Conflict Skills class to help her students engage with ways they navigate tension. This workshop featured guided trust walks where student pairs took turns piloting their blindfolded partner through the space. This exercise asked students to explore how they felt about being dependent on others, note where moments of tension arose, and reflect on how they and their partner maneuver through those tensions. Ultimately, Beyond the Page invited Professor Hammerle’s students to practice letting go of fear in the face of difficult situations.

Biology: Science For All

Biology Professor Gregory Pask wanted his Entomology students to think about access. The challenge was two-fold: How can scientists communicate their findings to the public in ways that feel immediate and palpable? And in that process, how can we uplift the research of marginalized scientists such as entomologist Dr. Charles Henry Turner’? Using Dr. Turner’s groundbreaking work with moths as a jumping off point, Beyond the Page invited Professor Pask’s students to create short performances designed to entice and teach the audience. This visit is now engrained in Professor Pask’s curriculum. Every semester, entomology students take over the public lobby of McCardell Bicentennial Hall. Their work—and their laughter—resonates for all to experience.