When choosing a piece for a class to perform, there are basically three options to choose from -- full production with costumes, props and scenery, etc.; Reader's Theater with no costumes, props, or even blocking; or Workshop with limited costumes props and suggestions of scenery as necessary.  Depending upon the time constraints, your choice may be simple to make.  In my case, the Workshop scenario was the best, and probably ONLY option.

          I have been working with a group of eight 3rd to 6th graders in an after-school club Theater Skills class.  These students have all been in shows before and desperately wanted the class to culminate in a performance before an audience.  The problem is that they have very few rehearsals to pull it all together.  So, I picked a little 10-minute mini-musical for them which would challenge their acting skills, but would be short enough that they could memorize lines and movement and songs and blocking within their very limited time constraints.  The students will also be responsible for their own costumes, except for mouse ears that I will supply.  They have just a few more class periods to work.  Hope they can learn quickly and work well together.

          They story was already well-known to them, "The City Mouse and the Country Mouse."  However, their challenge is to bring it to life with new characters and situations and to master speaking in a "Country" dialect.  They are actually having fun experimenting with interpreting the lines with a drawl or a twang.  My job is to allow them some free experimentation, gently guiding them to speak with just enough character, while maintaining clear enunciation for the audience's sake.

           Another aspect of this Workshop presentation is to perform the piece without props or scenery.  In fact, they will be performing on just the front risers of the stage.  They will be the "warm-up" act for the main production (which incidentally will have the scenery set up already for their show on the stage).  Their task is to interpret the story complete with songs and movement on the front risers through their excellent acting abilities.  They think they are up to the challenge.  They are raring to go.  I wish them luck!

          You have all heard of Choreography, of course.  But "Choral"-ography is something a bit different.  It is coordinated, but limited, movement for a chorus of singers.  Sometimes it t is just a synchronized gesture or turn of the heads, other times actual full-bodied movement.  The key is to make the movements fit the words of the song and not be too boisterous as to confuse the singers or hamper their singing.

          When composing a song for young children, I try to think about it in terms of choral-ography.  In other words, I always try to imagine how the children would interpret the song on stage.  The words come across best when simple gestures can be used to emphasize the meaning.  Words suggesting a direction such as "up" or "down" I make sure have a gesture or body movement to emphasize that.  Lyrics about joy or love or happiness might have a gesture of clasping hands at the heart.  Lyrics about sadness might used slumped shoulders and frowning faces.  Words with abstract meanings are the most difficult to interpret.  I usually save the simple generic hand and arm motions for those lyrics --- arm out left, arm out right, both arms up, one arm up in back and one down front with "jazz" hands (fingers wiggling), etc.

          First-time actors are generally not trained dancers.  So only very simple foot movements can be used.  Variations of walking, sliding, or spinning are about the extent of full body motion that can be safely used.  Kids usually have trouble with Right and Left and other stage directions, so I try to remember to keep it consistent by always starting on the same foot or turning in the same direction with succeeding passages.  It is crucial that when you begin teaching choreography of any kind, you continue practicing what you started.  Making a lot of changes just confuses them and they don't know what to remember.  Most kids tend to remember the movements you taught them first.  So figure it all out before you get started.  With enough practice time, it is surprising how proficient kids can get at their movements.

          And remember that if you work in front of the group facing them, you must "mirror" their motions.  If you use your right hand, expect them to use their left hand. Be prepared to reverse that if you turn around to face the same direction as the group.  Using "Choral"-ography is a great way to have your group interpret the songs and give a polished performance!

          Have you ever had that realization that what you had planned for your students just wasn't enough? Well, I went into the project of teaching two After School Drama Club classes with lots of ideas about what to do for the different age groups. And then that went out the window when I met the children for the first time. I have two classes. The first is for 1st and 2nd graders. The second is for 3-6th graders. I did not choose the age ranges. 
The older group are great. Turns out that I knew all of them and they are seasoned performers. We will do many things that will be fun and exciting.

          The younger group, however, I did not know. There seven girls and one boy in that group. After working two times with them, it became clear that they needed a story to motivate them to learn acting skills. So, I bit the bullet and wrote them a little show. The script came along quickly. I decided to retell the Aesop Fable "The Ants and the Grasshopper."  I needed the characters to have equal line loads and a few songs they all could sing together.  It made sense to have our boy be the Grasshopper since he is twice the size of any of the little girls. Besides he has a good singing voice and loves to move. 

          So, after a couple of days of writing now, I am to the point of polishing up the three songs. "The Ants Working Song," "Summer Loafing'" (for the Grasshopper), and the Finale "Pay Now and Play Later." 

          I decided to use the John Maxwell quote as the MORAL of the tale: "You can pay now and play later OR you can play now and pay later. Either way you have to pay."

          Since this is a Theater Skills class, I thought we could do an in-class Recital for the parents. Out in the hall of the school yesterday, I found a large flat card board box. I asked the custodian to snag it for me so that I can use it to create an Ant Hill set for this little show. The costumes will be very simple. I have some black T-shirts and knit pants for the girls to be "ants." I will make "feelers" with black pipe cleaners attached to little headbands. I have a green T-shirt for the Grasshopper and a green fedora hat to which I will attach green pipe-cleaner "feelers." He will also have a dancing cane and a Ukulele. I will also make a tiny golden crown for the Ant Queen and possibly let her have a cute royal cape. 

          Should be fun!

P.S. Been thinking about how the class can perform this show as a Workshop production but put it on a Main Stage.  Went to a thrift store Saturday and found a foldable screen that I think will help me tell this tale without much scenery at all, with just suggestions of props, and hints of costumes.  Hope it will work!