Helping students grasp the use of symbolism in drama work can be one of the more complex aspects of teaching this subject. While many young people recognise that a symbol communicates meaning beyond its literal form, guiding them towards making deliberate, layered choices in performance often requires careful scaffolding.
To support this process, I have developed a new interactive tool — the Symbol Switchboard — now available on my companion site, Drama Puzzles. This browser-based app has been designed specifically for classroom use, giving students a structured yet creative way to experiment with the multiple ways meaning can be conveyed symbolically on stage.
Why Symbol Switchboard?
Teachers often face the challenge of moving students beyond simplistic or surface-level symbolism in drama. The Symbol Switchboard provides prompts, categories, and options that encourage learners to consider:
- how performance style can frame an audience’s interpretation,
- how proxemics and stage space can symbolise relationships and power,
- how design elements such as colour and objects carry cultural and emotional weight, and
- how tempo, gesture, and even single words can resonate symbolically within a devised piece.
In short, the app encourages students to think critically about the interplay of theatre elements and how each decision contributes to symbolic meaning.
How It Works
The app begins as an improv generator, randomly generating a scene prompt as the starting point. Students are guided through a series of choices — from selecting a theatrical style and stage configuration to experimenting with colour, props, and movement. Each option is accompanied by contextual notes on its symbolic implications, helping students make more informed decisions rather than relying on guesswork.
At the end of the process, the app generates a Staging Card:
- a concise summary of all selections,
- directorial notes for how these might be realised in performance, and
- the option to download or print for classroom use.
This feature makes it particularly practical for group devising tasks, enabling students to share their symbolic frameworks with others or revisit their decisions in rehearsal.
Classroom Applications
The Symbol Switchboard can be integrated into a variety of teaching contexts about the use of symbolism in drama:
- Group devising – small groups create staging cards and then bring them to life through short performances.
- Collaborative challenges – one group generates a staging card, another interprets and stages it.
- Extended projects – students develop longer devised pieces using the app to test, refine, and justify their symbolic choices.
The app also provides formative feedback and suggestions for improvement on using symbolism in drama, encouraging students to refine their work — a valuable support for assessment contexts in curricula such as VCE Drama, GCSE Drama, or IB Theatre.
Built-in Differentiation
The Symbol Switcher app features built-in differentiation with three difficulty levels that affect the initial, randomly generated scene prompt. The Foundation level presents straightforward scene prompts, while the Core level generates more complex emotions in prompts, and the Advanced level produces abstract and layered prompts suitable for senior students.
Explore the App
The Symbol Switchboard is freely accessible on Drama Puzzles. If you are looking for a way to deepen your students’ understanding of symbolism in devised drama and to provide a digital resource that supports both creativity and critical thinking, then this is the app for you!
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