1-on-1 Mastery-Based IB Theatre · Taipei

IB Theatre, from rehearsal to integration.

IB Theatre rewards the integration of theory and practice, not rehearsal alone. Lessons build from the theatre vocabulary and performance instincts students bring toward the research, written analysis, and theatrical theorising the IB Theatre assessment components, and university theatre and performance studies, will demand.

Audience
IB Theatre content, all IB Theatre students at international schools
Format
1-on-1, 1 to 1.5 hours per lesson
Duration
Typically across the 2-year IB Diploma cadence
Begin
Complimentary consultation & assessment class

What Students Learn

Mastery-based IB Theatre at the level your child's school actually requires.

IB Theatre is for students who want to move past rehearsal and performance practice toward the theatre research, theoretical analysis, and structured written work the IB Theatre assessment components reward. The program covers the full IB Theatre Diploma Programme Subject Guide for HL and SL. Reasoning across theatre theorists and traditions, including the practical and theoretical work of figures like Stanislavski, Brecht, Artaud, Boal, Suzuki, and the theatre traditions that shaped modern performance practice across cultures and periods. Working through theatrical conventions across world theatre, including the conventions students may not have encountered through their school theatre practice and the research methodology the Research Presentation component rewards. Tracing the relationship between text and performance, including how directors and performers construct meaning from a written playtext and how performance choices shape audience experience. Building conceptual analysis for the Director's Notebook, including the development of a directorial concept for a published playtext and structured engagement with the four IB-prescribed questions the component requires. Developing the collaborative research underpinning the Collaborative Project, including the proposal stage, the structured reflection on group theatre-making, and the written project report the component requires. Engaging with one theatre theorist in depth for the Solo Theatre Piece (HL students only), including the research, written report, and solo performance the component requires. Integrating theoretical frameworks with practical theatre work, including the theory-practice connection that the IB assessment distinctively rewards across all components. These are the skills the IB Theatre Research Presentation, Director's Notebook, Collaborative Project, and Solo Theatre Piece (HL) test, and the foundation any university theatre, performance studies, drama, or related course will assume.

IB Theatre is not advanced rehearsal. The shift is from rehearsal to integration. Students move from staging and performing work to integrating theatre theory, research into traditions and theorists, and analytical writing with the practical work they do in school. A student who can rehearse and perform a scene capably is doing the practical work. A student who can research the theatrical tradition behind that scene, articulate the theoretical framework the director's choices imply, develop a directorial concept for a different playtext that integrates traditions across cultures, and reflect analytically on collaborative practice is doing the integration the IB assessment rewards across the four (HL) or three (SL) components. The program closes the gap between the two.

Lessons follow Harland's IB Theatre curriculum, built to bring students to mastery of IB Theatre content as defined by the IB Diploma Programme Subject Guide. The program runs ten units across the 2-year IB Diploma cadence, with each unit closing in an assessment that mirrors IB assessment formats, including the Research Presentation, Director's Notebook, and Collaborative Project structures common to HL and SL, plus the Solo Theatre Piece structure HL students additionally complete. SL students cover the three SL components and HL students cover all four, with lessons calibrated to your child's level and the components they are working toward in any given unit. Studio rehearsal, performance practice, and production work continue at the student's school, and lessons focus on the research, theory, and written components the IB rubric directly tests.

Progress shows up in places parents can see. Where your child once described what they had performed, they now articulate the theatrical tradition, theorist, or convention the performance choices drew from. Where your child once rehearsed without theoretical frame, they now connect practical work to theatre theory with the integration the IB rubric expects. Where the Research Presentation, Director's Notebook, Collaborative Project, and Solo Theatre Piece once felt like separate writing tasks, they now feel like structured analytical exercises your child can plan, research, and write against the IB rubric.

How We Teach It

IB Theatre taught for understanding, with the grade arriving as a consequence.

Harland's pedagogy is content-based learning. Theatre research, theoretical analysis, and the integration of theory and practice the IB Theatre rewards develop through the playtexts, theatre traditions, and written components your child is already working with. Assessments check whether the integration holds up when the student moves to new traditions, theorists, or playtexts alone.

A student working on the Research Presentation works on it with their teacher, building the research that connects a world theatre tradition or convention to its historical context and contemporary practice. A student working on the Director's Notebook works on it with their teacher, developing a conceptual reading of a published playtext and structured responses to the four IB-prescribed questions. A student working on the Collaborative Project or Solo Theatre Piece works on it with their teacher, building the research and written analysis that frame the practical theatre-making the student undertakes at school.

IB Theatre students arrive with two layers under the surface. The score pressure is real. The May or November exam session matters for university plans, particularly for students aiming at theatre, performance studies, drama, film, English literature, or any field where the integration of theoretical reasoning and creative practice carries forward, and most students know it. But beneath the score pressure is a specific cognitive challenge that defines the IB Theatre assessment. Rehearsing capably is not the hard part. The hard part is researching theatre traditions and theorists rigorously, articulating directorial concepts on the page, sustaining written analysis across the Research Presentation, Director's Notebook, Collaborative Project, and Solo Theatre Piece (HL), and integrating theoretical frameworks with practical work the IB rubric expects. The 1-on-1 format gives teachers room to slow down where the theatre-theory ground is unfamiliar, and to keep the work rigorous without losing the student's engagement with theatre itself. Skill and integration develop together. Neither moves far in isolation.

The format also lets teachers calibrate within the program's structure. A student fluent with practical theatre work but uncomfortable with theatre theory gets pushed toward the research the assessment will ask. Which tradition, theorist, or convention frames the choices in your performance, and why. How does this theatrical tradition connect to the theorist whose ideas your Solo Theatre Piece engages with. What does the Director's Notebook ask you to argue, and what theoretical framework supports your concept. A student strong on theatre research but weak on the sustained written components the IB Theatre requires gets work calibrated to the rubric's expectations. That means refining the structured analytical writing the Director's Notebook expects across its four questions, integrating research evidence with theatrical reasoning, organizing the Research Presentation, Collaborative Project report, and Solo Theatre Piece report against the assessment criteria, and writing against the rubrics the IB assessment uses.

IB Theatre has multiple assessment components, all coursework portfolio submissions with no sit-down written exam. SL students complete three components: the Research Presentation (15-minute recording with up to 350 words of notes, worth around 30 percent), the Director's Notebook (working notebook with structured responses to four IB-prescribed questions of up to 3,000 words, worth around 35 percent), and the Collaborative Project (group performance with a written project report of up to 4,000 words, worth around 35 percent). HL students complete all three of those plus the Solo Theatre Piece (solo performance based on one theatre theorist, with a 3,000-word written report, worth around 35 percent at HL with the other components reweighted). Harland's 1-on-1 IB Theatre program supports students through every stage of the research and written work, with explicit acknowledgment that the studio rehearsal, performance practice, and production work happen at the student's school. Teachers help students choose research focuses that fit both the rubric criteria and the depth each component requires, develop the theatrical and theoretical analysis the IB assessment expects, work through the structured written components against the assessment criteria, and integrate theoretical reasoning with the practical work students bring from school. The studio and performance work sits at school per the IB Theatre program design, and Harland's role is the research, theoretical analysis, and written portfolio work that turns practical theatre into strong IB Theatre submissions.

Curriculum and Alignment

A structured curriculum keyed to the IB Theatre Subject Guide.

IB Theatre at Harland follows a structured curriculum keyed to the IB Theatre Diploma Programme Subject Guide for HL and SL. A student who completes the program has demonstrated mastery of IB Theatre content as the IB Subject Guide defines it.

Harland's IB Theatre runs ten units across the 2-year IB Diploma cadence, with research, written analysis, and portfolio preparation integrated rather than appended. Most school IB Theatre courses balance studio rehearsal with written components, with the written work often happening alongside or after rehearsal. 1-on-1 lessons don't lose time to group pacing or mixed-ability instruction, so the written components get the depth they need without taking time away from the practical work students continue at school. The time saved goes into the integration the IB Diploma assessment rewards.

Standards
IB Theatre Diploma Programme Subject Guide for HL and SL, with the Research Presentation, Director's Notebook, Collaborative Project, and Solo Theatre Piece (HL) rubrics as the cross-cutting skill framework
Materials
Harland curriculum materials, theatre theorist and tradition research materials, playtexts the student's school program is engaging with, and exemplar IB Theatre portfolio components integrated as ongoing input
Assessment
End-of-unit assessments aligned with the IB Theatre Research Presentation, Director's Notebook, Collaborative Project, and Solo Theatre Piece (HL) assessment criteria
Reporting
Skill-level tracking against Harland's internal rubrics, mapped to IB assessment criteria

Prerequisites and What Comes Next

Where IB Theatre fits in your child's learning.

Before starting

IB Theatre is an elective DP subject and students are usually placed by their school based on prior theatre experience or interest. The program rewards comfortable academic reading, essay-level writing, theatrical vocabulary, and willingness to engage with theatre theory alongside practical work. Students arriving with weaker analytical English fluency work through gaps in foundational analytical reading before or alongside IB Theatre proper.

One thing to know about scope. IB Theatre is a creative-portfolio subject. The studio rehearsal, performance practice, and production work that the IB Theatre program assumes happen at the student's school under the school's theatre teacher and theatre program. Harland is not an IB-authorized delivery school for IB Theatre and cannot serve as the school theatre program. Harland's 1-on-1 tutoring focuses on the theatre research, theoretical analysis, written portfolio components, and the integration of theory with the practical work the student does at school. The studio and performance work continues at school, and Harland's role is the research, theoretical analysis, and structured written portfolio work the IB Theatre rubric directly tests.

The consultation and assessment class establishes whether IB Theatre is the right starting point and whether parallel work in foundational analytical reading or Academic English would help. Some students arrive needing both English-foundation reinforcement and IB Theatre-specific support, and the lesson plan covers what's most urgent first.

What comes after

Most students complete IB Theatre across the 2-year IB Diploma cadence, with portfolio components developed across the cadence and final submissions due in the May or November session. Cadence varies by entry point and component timing, with most students attending one to three sessions per week.

IB Theatre is graded on the IB 1-7 scale, contributing to the IB Diploma's 45-point total. After the Diploma, the theatre research, performance analysis, and integration of theory with creative practice IB Theatre develops carries directly into university theatre, performance studies, drama, film, English literature, cultural studies, and any field that combines analytical writing with creative work. Students choosing IB Theatre as their Extended Essay subject work with their primary teacher across the research-question, methodology, and writing stages on the Extended Essay program.

The longer-term aim of IB Theatre support is to make itself unnecessary. The program brings students to mastery of IB Theatre content. Students complete their portfolio components, submit them through their school, and the program's role ends. A parent who's no longer worried about their child's IB Theatre work is the point of all of it.

Common Questions

Common questions about IB Theatre at Harland.

Who is IB Theatre at Harland for? +
IB Theatre at Harland is for high school students working through the IB Diploma Programme. Most of our students fall into one of two patterns. Most are taking IB Theatre at school and come to us for support alongside the school program, building the theatre research, theoretical analysis, and written portfolio work the IB Theatre rewards differently from typical school theatre instruction. Some are preparing for the May or November submission in an intensive run-up, working through portfolio component drafts, structured written component refinement, and targeted criterion-by-criterion review in the weeks or months before the submission. Students whose situation falls outside these two patterns, including students transitioning curricula mid-DP, students at schools without strong IB programs, or students who need a more flexible curriculum than the standard IB Theatre program provides, work with us through Harland's Academic Coaching framework, where the curriculum is calibrated to the individual situation rather than the IB Subject Guide alone.
My child can rehearse and perform capably but struggles with the theatre theory research, written analysis, and theoretical integration the IB Theatre portfolio components require. Can the program help with that kind of thinking? +
This is a familiar situation. The IB Theatre assessment tests a kind of thinking that school rehearsal time doesn't always practice directly. Researching theatre theorists and traditions rigorously, connecting practical performance work to its theoretical underpinnings, and articulating directorial concepts in structured written form for the IB portfolio components. Sustaining written analysis across the Research Presentation, Director's Notebook, Collaborative Project report, and Solo Theatre Piece report (HL) with the integration the IB rubric rewards. We work directly on these skills, slowing down on the theatre-theory research the IB Theatre distinctively requires, on the structured written analysis the portfolio components test, and on the criterion-by-criterion alignment that distinguishes a strong response from a vague one. Most students who come to us strong on practical theatre but struggling on the written components close that gap by working through the rubrics explicitly, with sample component work and practice under sustained writing conditions.
What does the IB Theatre program cover? +
The program follows the IB Theatre Diploma Programme Subject Guide for HL and SL. Content covers theatre theorists and traditions across cultures and periods (Stanislavski, Brecht, Artaud, Boal, Suzuki, world theatre conventions), the relationship between text and performance, conceptual directing for a published playtext, collaborative theatre-making theory and practice, and the structured written analysis the portfolio components require. SL students complete three components: Research Presentation (15-minute recording with up to 350 words of notes, around 30 percent), Director's Notebook (working notebook with structured responses to four prescribed questions of up to 3,000 words, around 35 percent), and Collaborative Project (group performance with up to 4,000-word project report, around 35 percent). HL students complete all three plus the Solo Theatre Piece (solo performance based on one theatre theorist with a 3,000-word written report, around 35 percent at HL). Harland's program runs ten units across the 2-year IB Diploma cadence, calibrated to the framework your child's specific course route requires.
How long is each lesson and how often does my child attend? +
Lessons are 1-on-1 sessions of 1 to 1.5 hours, in person at our head office in Da'an or online. Most students attend one to three lessons per week. Harland's IB Theatre program runs ten units across the 2-year IB Diploma cadence. At one or two lessons per week alongside a school IB course, the program runs through the DP cycle and concludes with the May or November submission. At three lessons per week, the program covers the same content at faster pace. For students preparing in an intensive run-up to the submission, the cadence increases as the deadlines approach, typically two to four months at higher frequency. The Student Coordinator helps you choose the cadence that fits.
How are lessons scheduled, and what if we need to reschedule? +
Lessons happen on a fixed weekly slot reserved with your child's primary teacher. This protects the teacher's time and keeps a consistent rhythm for your child. If you need to reschedule, give us at least 24 hours of notice and we'll find another time when your teacher is available. Many families add classes during summer or winter vacation, either to accelerate progress or to make up for a slower term. Once a unit has started, it should be completed within a defined window. The Student Coordinator walks through the details when you enroll.
Can my child begin IB Theatre over the summer? +
Yes. Summer enrollment is available across Harland's IB Diploma programs, with two patterns. Students preparing for the upcoming May or November submission in an intensive run-up sometimes begin or accelerate in summer at higher cadence (typically two to three sessions per week), particularly when their portfolio component drafts are still open, when their school IB Theatre course pacing has fallen behind, or when the run-up to the submission needs concentrated time. Students preparing for a submission session further out (i.e., entering or partway through the 2-year DP) often use summer for a head-start block, working through theatre research, written component preparation, or building the prerequisite foundation before the next school year begins. The Student Coordinator helps you choose the right summer pattern based on which session your child is preparing for and where their IB Theatre work currently stands.
How do you measure progress? +
Progress is measured through unit assessments aligned with the IB Theatre Subject Guide. Harland's IB Theatre program is organized into ten units across the 2-year IB Diploma cadence. Each unit closes with an assessment that mirrors IB assessment formats, including the Research Presentation, Director's Notebook, Collaborative Project, and Solo Theatre Piece (HL) component structures, plus the IB Theatre assessment rubric, and measures conceptual understanding, theatre research depth, structured written analysis, and the integration that connects theatrical theory to defensible directorial and analytical claims across the unit's content. Parents receive updates after every lesson and formal progress reports when each unit ends. Skill-level tracking uses Harland's internal rubrics, which map to IB assessment criteria. Where helpful, the Student Coordinator translates this into the expectations of your child's school.
How do we begin? +
Every Harland relationship begins with a consultation, followed by a 1-on-1 assessment class. The consultation is about your goals and your child's situation. The assessment class is about how your child works in the subject. Together they tell us where to start and what kind of teacher will fit best.

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