Date & Time: Friday, August 14, 2026 | 12:00 – 4:30 PM
Location: American Players Theatre – Bravo Center
Cost: $150

About the Workshop:

Join APT Education Director and Core Company member David Daniel for a high-energy and action-packed afternoon at American Players Theatre in Spring Green!

All workshop participants will receive one complimentary ticket for Friday, August 14’s evening performance of The Matchmaker in the Hill Theatre. Up to four additional guests of the workshop participant can also receive tickets to the performance at 25% off (subject to availability) using a promo code provided by American Players Theatre.

With over 25 years of experience working with thousands of students across the state, David has made a career out of his ability to entertain while simultaneously educating. Now, he wants to share his steps to transforming dusty lesson plans into electrifying stories with you.

In one afternoon, participants will receive on-your-feet experience applying David’s storytelling methods to their own area of focus to build compelling, “sticky” stories for students of all ages. Participants will unlock dynamic storytelling techniques like pacing, suspense, and analogies to heighten presentations and make students lean forward.

Shift from dishing out data and repeating factoids to engaging your student audience with lessons that will stick.

What You Will Learn:

• How to utilize the “Narrative Arc” in lesson plans to help students stay cognitively engaged from start to finish.
• How to use dynamic storytelling techniques to create curiosity in your students.
• How to transform complex information into relatable analogies and character-driven narratives.

Schedule (subject to change)

• 12:00 – 12:30 PM: Introduction and Workshop Overview
• 12:30 – 1:30 PM: Framework: The Anatomy and History of a Lesson
• 1:30 – 2:30 PM: Developing Story Templates for Educators
• 2:45 – 4:00 PM: Implementing Storytelling Techniques in the Classroom
• 4:00 – 4:30 PM: Closing Thoughts
• (Optional) 8:00 PM: Performance of The Matchmaker at APT

What You Will Walk Away With:

Participants will leave with a Story Frame Template for Educators, applied workshop experience, and more!

Who Should Attend:

• Educators of all grades/subjects interested in building creative lesson plans.
• Educators looking to improve classroom presence and confidence.
• Folks interested in learning APT Education Director David Daniel’s tricks of the trade!