Professional Development

Big Smile Storytelling PD
A Theater Arts Professional Development workshop for teachers PreK-12
Explore the storyteller’s intriguing toolkit of body language, sound effects and vocal expressiveness to captivate your listeners. Experiment with stories, songs, movement and chants that immerse your students in rich vocabulary, rhyming words and patterns. Improvise stories that promote phonemic awareness, word recognition, fluency and vocabulary acquisition. Bring on the smiles with bright ideas.

Between The Lions Literacy PD
A Dance and Theater Arts Professional Development workshop for teachers K-3 by Susan Weber and Colleen Clark
Teachers learn how to use voice and movement to teach literacy concepts such as long and short vowel sounds, reading left to right, first consonants, rhyming and key details of a story. This workshop links to the Between The Lions Residency also offered by Colleen and Susan. It can be used to introduce educators to that residency or can stand alone as a rich tutorial chock full of fun hands-on literacy based arts integration activities.

Elementary

A Buckeye Campfire
A Theater Arts workshop/residency for grades K - 6
In this workshop or residency, Susan Weber works with individual groups of students gathered around her glowing campfire. Susan teaches storytelling skills and relates Ohio stories to curricular concepts such as transportation, immigration and entrepreneurship. Students mime the process of starting a restaurant business on the Ohio and Erie Canal and identify each of the Factors of Production represented by their actions. 

A Buckeye Picnic
A Theater Arts performance for grades K - 6
Susan Weber’s handcrafted quilt depicting Ohio’s people, geography and official symbols is the backdrop for her interactive stories and songs. Ohioans of diverse cultures come to life in students’ imaginations along a rich timeline of the state's heritage. Susan’s stories begin with Native American and European settlers and continue with canal diggers, farmers, entrepreneurs, freedom fighters, immigrants and astronauts. Students listen and respond through movement, imitation, sound effects and voice to stories of people who made a difference in Ohio’s development.

Dance, Tell, Celebrate Me!
A Dance and Theater Arts performance for grades K - 6 by Susan Weber and Colleen Clark
Through story and dance, explore African, Celtic, Indian and Hispanic culture. Students move, sing and chant to celebrate their strengths and reaffirm a positive body image with joyful reminders to be yourself and pay attention to what is on the inside.

Open the Book
A Theater Arts performance for grades K - 4 by Susan Weber and Beacon Street's Bob Kloos
Beacon Street's lively performance celebrates the fun of reading. Susan Weber and Bob Kloos take students on an entertaining adventure in celebration of books. Through singing, poetry, mime, demonstrations and drama, younger audiences are inspired to reach for books for years to come.

The Long & Short of It - Between the Lions Literacy Program
A Dance and Theater Arts residency for grades 1 - 2 by Susan Weber and Colleen Clark
This theater and dance literacy residency is lead by artist Susan Weber, accompanied in three of the sessions by dance artist Colleen Clark. The program guides students in creative movement and sound production related to vowel sounds and short action words.

Turtle Tales from Around the World
A Literary Arts performance for grades K - 4
Against a colorful backdrop and with guitar in hand, musician-storyteller Susan Weber weaves adventures of the wise old turtle whose amazing tales impart cultural wisdom from West Africa, North America, Asia and the West Indies. Students are engaged in the performance as they sing, create sound effects and learn gestures to accompany Susan in this Common Core State Standards - English Language Arts and Social Studies integrated assembly program.

We Can All Be Brave and Kind
A Theater Arts performance for grades K - 4
Stories provide a safe place for children to grapple with their feelings and the characters in any bullying scenario: the bully, the bullied, the bystander/witness, and the supportive adult. Through folktales from diverse cultures, song and reflection, Susan invites participants to empathize with story characters and consider effective responses when confronted with unkind words and actions. Reinforces other bullying-prevention programs and policies by modeling positive attitudes and behaviors in a safe, supportive environment.

What's In a Name? - Between the Lions Literacy Program
A Music residency for grades K
This Music Literacy residency for kindergartners is led by musical teaching artist Susan Weber. The program guides students in using techniques such as tapping rhythms and vocalizing to reinforce literacy concepts and skills. Students create and perform sound pieces based on rhythmic patterns in names or using nonsense rhymes.
 
What’s Inside A Story: Structure and Key Details
A Theater Arts workshop for grades K - 3
This workshop explores the structure and key details of stories. Susan Weber invites students to sing, mime, chant and then analyze how characters, setting and the beginning-middle-end of stories relate to the whole. With hand crafted puppets, guitar, sound effects and movement, students explore a West Indian folktale, a wide mouth frog adventure and echo songs rich in rhythm and rhyme. Activities are closely tied to Common Core State Standards - English Language Arts for Reading.

Early Childhood

Everybody’s Got A Name
A Theater Arts program for grades Pre K
With puppets, guitar, finger play and movement, Susan Weber invites young children to explore a West Indian folk tale rich in rhyme and rhythm. In the story, a small boy with a very long name is challenged by his grandmother to find out her real name; he discovers humor and wisdom along the way. Susan's storytelling, songs and nursery rhymes reinforce vocabulary, alliteration and rhyming words in celebration of names, family relationships and traditions.

Happy Healthy Me
A Theater arts program for grades Pre K
With puppets, guitar, finger play and movement, Susan Weber brings to life the story of Rudy Raccoon's Beautiful Birthday. Tempted by sugary snacks and rescued by humor, understanding and love, Rudy learns about healthy habits from his helpful friends. Susan's story, songs and nursery rhymes use rich vocabulary, alliteration and rhyming words to reinforce good hygiene, nutrition, exercise and rest.

Ladybugs!
A Theater Arts program for grades Pre K
Susan Weber brings story, puppets, guitar, songs and finger play together to celebrate nature and the smallest of creatures, the ladybug. Besides building vocabulary and speaking/listening skills, this program features math concepts of counting and measurement (big-bigger-biggest). Science concepts include observing nature, naming body parts and imitating sounds and gestures of animals.

Let It Snow! 

A Theater Arts program for grades Pre K
The excitement and wonder of a snowy day, a wise grandmother and a sweet kitten are brought to life by storyteller Susan Weber with guitar, puppets, finger play and movement.. A program for small children and the wise adults who love them. 

Let's Be Friends
A Theater arts program for grades Pre K
Friendship skills of empathy, sharing, problem-solving and kindness are explored through story, song, movement and reflection. Children make friendly choices while helping to tell a Japanese folktale about a good cook and feisty little creatures who are always hungry and not always willing to share. Rich opportunities for listening, repetition, rhyming and building vocabulary.

Star Light, Star Bright
A Theater Arts program for grades Pre K
Children shine brightly as they help Susan Weber and her puppets, Timothy Timberwolf and Forgets-to-Twinkle tell a Native American folktale. The story provides opportunities to follow simple oral directions: how to be an echo, improvise movement and experiment with sound effects as they build vocabulary and increase phonemic awareness. Children sprinkle stardust, create shooting stars with their fingers, enjoy a star song, a star dance, and star fun!

The Mouse with the Musical Ear
A Theater Arts program for grades Pre K
In celebration of listening and friendship, Susan Weber uses puppets, singing, guitar, finger play and dance to tell this captivating story of a mouse who makes his house in a guitar. The story provides children opportunities to follow simple oral directions: how to be an echo, improvise movement and experiment with sound effects. With song and movement, children explore other night animals including owls, bats, cats and skunks.

Yummy Songs and Stories
A Music program for grades Pre K
Susan Weber's songs and stories about lip-smacking fish, juicy watermelon, spicy pizza and fresh blueberries inspire children to make healthy food choices. A West African folktale provides children opportunities to follow simple oral directions: how to be an echo, improvise movement and experiment with sound effects. Through participation in stories and songs, children build vocabulary and increase phonemic awareness.