Lea Madda, the Director of Education at A Noise Within. [Courtesy photo. Theatre building image © 2023 Pasadena Convention & Visitor Bureau. All Rights Reserved]
“Theater is such a great ‘in’ for students in an English Language Arts classroom,” she says, “because it so closely resembles forms of culture and entertainment that they enjoy beyond the school walls, like movies and television.”
As the Director of Education at A Noise Within, a theater complex and company based in East Pasadena, Madda is at the forefront of a quiet revolution in theater education.
Her mission? To make sprawling, complex works like August Wilson’s “The Piano Lesson” not just accessible but irresistible to a generation raised on TikTok and Instagram.
Evan Lewis Smith, Gerald C. Rivers, Kai A. Ealy and Alex Morris in A Noise Within’s production of The Piano Lesson. [Photo by Craig Schwartz]
“But his plays can be challenging. ‘ The Piano Lesson,’ for instance, touches on themes of family conflict, inheritance and identity. And it’s also a long show.”
Indeed, the length of classic plays is one of the primary hurdles Madda and her team face.
“The primary challenge with the August Wilson pieces is, I would say, show length,” she admits. “He does write very long shows, and sometimes a two-hour and 45-minute to three-hour experience can be a pretty big ask for a seventh grader or even a 10th grader.”
Rather than shy away from these challenges, Madda sees them as opportunities for innovation.
One of her most significant initiatives has been reimagining the theater’s study guides.
“Our study guides recently received a relatively major makeover,” she says with a smile. “One of the biggest changes is that they’re now being addressed directly to students.”
This shift in perspective is more than just a stylistic choice; it’s a fundamental reimagining of how young people engage with theater. The guides now feature interactive elements designed to “lift the information off the page and get the students thinking critically before they come and see the performance.” For “The Piano Lesson,” this includes research activities on the blues genre and its connection to historical events like the Great Migration.
“We started the season with some interactive elements and we’ve started to build upon those quite a lot,” Madda explains.
Madda’s approach goes beyond just preparing students for the show. She’s creating a holistic experience that bridges the gap between the classroom and the stage.
“For Macbeth and for A Christmas Carol, we’re looking at the California Arts Standards for the Performing Arts and integrating more theater-specific exercises into those,” she explains. “’But we are also extending beyond theater, bringing the learning in other subject areas as well.”
This interdisciplinary approach not only enriches the students’ understanding of the play but also reinforces their broader education.
“Each study guide features a classroom activity that’s centered in social studies, based on the Common Core,” Madda adds.
The impact of these efforts is already being felt far beyond Pasadena.
“We also have the study guides on our webpage, so we have people from all across the world using them,” Madda says, her voice tinged with amazement. “I recently received an email from a college professor in Cyprus interested in using our study guide.”
This global reach bears witness to the universal appeal of classic theater when presented in an engaging, accessible way. It’s also a reflection of Madda’s diverse background — she’s not just an educator but a multidisciplinary theater artist and voiceover actor with a Bachelor of Music in Classical Voice Performance from Boston University and an MFA in Acting from UCLA. Her credits range from stage productions to Netflix dubbing, and she even collaborated with Francis Ford Coppola on his live cinema project “Distant Vision” in 2016.
Madda reflects on the broader implications of her work.
“I think it’s exciting as a young person to see a script on a page before viewing the final live production,” she muses. “I also think that theater provides an especially excellent opportunity to practice oral reading skills, because ultimately plays are meant to be read or performed out loud.”
The impact of these initiatives is tangible.
“We had a high schooler join us this summer on an 80% scholarship who reached out to us because she had had such a positive experience coming to see “Much Ado About Nothing” in the field trip program,” Madda said.
Looking to the future, Madda is not resting. She’s launching new programs to further engage young people with theater.
“We have our teen monologue competition going on right now,” she says. “I’m also debuting a new program called the Theater Immersion Program, which is a mentorship-style program.”
Additionally, the theater is working on funding to offer study guides in Spanish, further expanding their reach.
To ensure the effectiveness of their programs, A Noise Within has implemented a feedback system.
“The day after a field trip, teachers receive a survey that takes five minutes or less to complete,” Madda explains. This constant feedback loop allows A Noise Within to continually refine and improve its educational offerings.
Madda’s parting advice to those considering more theater for their classroom? “Lean into the theatrics. If you love it, your students will love it. Go for it.”
A Noise Within is located at 3352 E. Foothill Blvd. in East Pasadena. For more, call (626) 356-3100 or visit https://www.anoisewithin.org/.
