Another daughter promised to come down for a few rehearsals to teach the most important choreography to the oldest girls.  She doesn't have time to help us polish the dancing, but I will take all the help I can get.  It will be fun to see her recreate some of the dancing she did when she premiered this show back when she was 14.

I am so grateful we were able to avoid disappointing Summer Theater Camp participants this year.  And I am especially grateful for the help from my wonderful family!

One of the lead characters in the "Parizade's Quest" cast, Lili Wilson, who was Parizade, asked me if I did children's theater when I was young.  I told her that I did.  She asked if I ever wrote scripts and shows when I was young.  I told her that I did.  Then she proceeded to tell me that she was writing a show for her 4th grade class to present to the school. She was a bit frustrated that the other children did not always follow her directions even though she had spent so much time and effort preparing the script and getting the costumes ready all by herself.  I told her that directing a cast of your peers is difficult, but to keep trying and they will eventually come around.

Judy played Peter Pan, Stanley played Captain Hook and I played Wendy. We danced and sang and pretended to fly and had a great time.  We had wonderful support from our parents and teachers. We had the feeling we could do anything we put our minds to.    We    worked      hard 
and created something wonderful.  Our efforts were rewarded by the fun we had and the enjoyment we gave to those who came to the performance. Little did we know that what we did was foreshadowing our futures.  Judy kept singing, working with children's choirs, and putting on shows.  Stanley went on to play cello in orchestras.  And I continued to write, direct and produce children's theater shows.

So Lili, keep following your dreams.  You may be foreshadowing your future!

      Antagonist...villain....comic relief...
yeah, the supporting actors.  Where would the story be without these important roles? Where's the mystery, suspense, and comedy?  The plot of a story is mostly served through the doings of the supporting players. It is all well and good to have fine lead players, but without equally good supporting characters, they would have nothing to play off to make them look so good.

          Too bad that supporting characters and villains get such a bad rap in children's theater.  Without them, the heroes and heroines would not shine. The contrasts between the character traits and individual choices of the protagonists and the antagonists are what make live children's theater so meaningful and instructive.  

          My goals have been to share stories where good triumphs over evil, where love conquers all, and hope springs eternal.  Yes, these goals may seem old fashioned, but they are eternal truths and must be championed, especially for impressionable youth.  And yet, how can good overcome evil if that choice is not offered in the first place?  Hence the need for the villain.

              In thinking about casting a nefarious character, my heart is often troubled.  Whoever
is cast must be of sufficient self esteem to realize that I am casting them strictly by their acting abilities and not because I think they have evil traits.  Fortunately, a pair of just such actresses were available for the roles of Beheshteh and Chaman Banoo, the jealous sisters of the Queen, in "Parizade's Quest."   These girls needed to portray jealousy, cunning and craftiness with a hint of comedy during the course of the play. 
The audience need not have any sympathies with them for their evil deeds.  In fact, in the end, their banishment should prove to be satisfying to all.  
             
              And yes, I was glad they got a nice ovation for their hard work during the bows.  They gave wonderful performances.

          So kudos to Kaylin Wilson and Candace Taylor for being such great Supporting Actresses!  You both did a great job!

Hard to believe, but it was one year ago precisely that a friend told me about the story of "The Speaking Bird."  She said that it was a tale from the Arabian Nights stories that she had only just become aware of.  She had been struck by the notion that it would make a great Children's Theater play or better yet, a musical.  I happened to be looking for a new project at just that moment. She liked the piece because it was not a romantic "love" story, but a reuniting of a family "love" story.  When I read it, I liked it because it had great elements that make for good theater: mystery, comedy, magic, fantasy characters --- and a bonus for children's theater --- the opportunity for good roles for more than one GIRL.  A beautiful "weeping" Queen, a "lost" princess, a clever storyteller, two jealous sisters, Gypsy dancers, and the magical Speaking Bird.

        Creating a fantasy character that must be acted by a human can be a daunting task --- unless you have a great model for inspiration.  One of my friends has a bigger than life persona and a rare and unique personality.  I informed her frankly one day that I intended to model a character for my new play after her.  And, in her inimitable fashion, she answered, "Absolutely!  I have always thought that I would make a great character.  You'll have to invite me to see the show!"  So, with permission granted, I set off to give Shazelle, the Speaking Bird the funniest lines and the sassiest attitude possible!  Thank you, Anne-Marie St. Felix!

         But, then there is the casting dilemma.  As a director, you wonder if you will have a young actress come to audition with the talent and ability to pull off such a character.  Fortunately, just such a girl showed up.  Lizzie Jensen was perfect for the role.  She summoned enough inner "sassy attitude" to play this over the top character and even learned how to do a tap dance routine for the Finale!  Way to go, Lizzie!

         Here are the two of them together after the last show of "Parizade's Quest." And as Shazelle, herself, says in the play, "Girl, I am here to make sure the story is told right!  I am the magic and mystery!  Comedy, too!" And she really was!  This wonderful fantasy character was a pure delight! "And trust me, honey!  I am telling the absolute truth!"

Pearls so rare!
Pearls so rare!
A family has been reunited,
That's cause for joy.
We are so excited!
We'd be delighted
If you decided to stay___
On this happy day!
On this happy day!

These are the words to the chorus of the Finale song of my latest Children's Musical "Parizade's Quest, a Tale from the Arabian Nights."  The special message of this story is about the importance of FAMILY.  As always, writing the show is a mind game, but putting it into production is an adventure!

As a writer, you think and think and plan and plan and try to envision all the parts and pieces of the finished production.  You design everything from the sets, to the dances, to the costumes, to how the characters talk and move. But then reality sets in.  The biggest culprits are limitations of budget and time and of course the actual abilities of your very young actors.  How wonderful to have some validation in getting a lot "right" about what you can actually manage to accomplish.  But it is sobering to realize what simply will not fly.
So, you pare down, regroup, re-imagine, and go on!

The happy thing is that the kids seem to like the songs, the story, and the idea of the costumes that they haven't actually seen yet.  Now to get them to memorize their lines, learn their choreography, master the singing of the songs, and accomplish some real acting to tell the story.  The first few weeks are so rough.  Nobody really has a handle on what to expect.  They don't know each other.  They don't know their characters.  They have so much work to do. And as the creator and director of a brand new theatrical piece, I just don't have enough words or time to explain what is inside my head.  
          
The good thing is that they have no pre-conceived notions about the story or their characters.  
          
The bad things is that they have no pre-conceived notions about the story or any reference points for understanding the characters, setting or interpretation of the story.  
          
How come they can't just do what I see them do during my dreams at night?  

These are kids, after all.  Ten, eleven and twelve year olds.  There are just a handful who have had any experience doing a play or dancing or singing in shows.  Fortunately, those kids can be the lead characters and demonstrate to the others how to conduct themselves.  Now if I could just split myself into three or four extra people, we would have time enough to work with all the children on a more individual level.  Don't have that kind of luxury, though.  We will just go on the best we can.  Perhaps, I will think of creative ways to "steal" extra time in some other ways.

After all, what is the first law of the theater?  The Show Must Go On!

                   

          Last night I got to attend the performance of one of my shows performed by Upstage Theater for Youth, a Children's Theater Company based in Sandy, Utah.  They produced "Never Cry Wolf" with a group of 30 talented kids ranging in age from 5-15.  I was impressed by their infectious enthusiasm, awesome line delivery, and genuine love of the songs.  It made me very happy!  This image was on their cast Tee-shirts.  Each actor drew a self portrait.  Such a cute idea!
          It is always a revelation to see someone else's ideas imprinted onto your work.  The results are sometimes not as you envisioned, but somehow work just as well.  For example, their stage was quite small.  So they opted to have a very simple set with practically no scenery.  They just used white columns set against the black drapes to suggest ancient Greece. The actors brought on a few accent props and wore costumes suggesting the time period.  Other than that, the show was very simply staged.  In fact, the accompanist sat in full view of the audience at her piano (appropriately costumed, of course) during the entire play.  It seemed quite natural and not a distraction at all.  Besides, she played beautifully.
          Because the show was written for a very large cast (45+), many of the actors had to do double duty and play several roles.  With so few boys in the cast, some of the male roles went to female actresses.  It made a couple of scenes and jokes a little awkward, but the girls persevered and gave a good accounting of themselves.  That's the way it sometimes is in Children's Theater.  All in all, the show went very well and the audience was very receptive.  And, true to form, the little lambs stole the show!
          My favorite part was mingling with the audience and the actors.  Over and over they thanked me for creating such a wonderful show.  They loved the music.  In fact, even the audience members, many of them parents, confided to me that they had had the songs going round and round in their heads for weeks. They told me that they enjoyed the powerful messages of Sincerity and Work that were taught in the play.  One parent hoped that the wayward son that he brought to watch the show that evening would get the message! 
          Well, I certainly hope so, too.  After all,"Being sincere is a treasure."   

    So, once again, big KUDOS to the KIDS of Upstage Theater for Youth.  

          Well done!

         This update on the progress of their show was sent in by the director of a Children's Theater Group in Alabama.  She encouraged all of the children to invent backstories for their particular characters.  Here's how they are doing:

          It's like I have always maintained, the little dancing sheep in the production of Never Cry Wolf are the real stars of the show!  You just can't argue with cute factor!

         My elementary classroom teacher friends have been kind enough to offer suggestions for Lesson Plans for my new Mini-Musicals.  In many states, so much of the curriculum is scripted to meet the Common Core Objectives.  They find that it is exhausting to add anything beyond the well-stated goals.  It is simply too hard to justify "fluff' and "fun."  They are too busy trying to keep up with all of the mandated requirements.  And many teachers are so overwhelmed, they rely solely on commercially prepared pre-made worksheets and packets.

          This is such a shame!  As I have read the National Common Core Objectives, there seems to be a lot of room for creativity and fun.  For example, one of the ELA objectives for 1st-3rd grades is to retell a story or fable with a moral.  What better way to meet this objective than to present a class play?  And if the songs reinforce the concepts of the moral plus other Language Arts ideas, that is all for the better.  For example, the opening song in  "The Tale of the Three Billy Goats Gruff," contains an idiom that is introduced along with many other puzzlements, "Why is Grass Always Greener on the Other Side?"  This song is a good jumping off point for a discussion about asking questions to get information using the words "who, what, where, when and why." 

          In the Mini-Musical "The Tale of the Musicians of Bremen," the moral has to do with Age and Change.  Children may not recognize how difficult it is for older people to grow old and feel useless.  Older people often stubbornly resist change.  The old farmer and his wife in the story have to face Age and Change in themselves and for their animals.  This story shows the animals taking a proactive step to avoid their certain fate (death).  The animals are likable and do silly things, but also allow for a discussion about important life lessons, particularly Age and Change.

          The City Mouse and the Country Mouse discover that both of their homes have pros and cons.  The Country Mouse visits the City with her cousin and is terrified at the noise and hustle-bustle and all of the hidden dangers of the City.  She decides that the "cons" far outweigh the "pros" of City Life.  She races home to the Country where she already knows what to expect.  "The Tale of the City Mouse and the Country Mouse" begins a discussion about Comparisons and Likes and Dislikes.  Through explorations in acting and singing, the students can draw comparisons from the story and their own experiences to become better at determining their own preferences.

          Retelling a story or fable with a moral is what these Mini-Musicals are all about.  According to the advice of my teacher friends, I have included ideas and worksheets to help meet some of the Common Core Objectives for ELA.  The best accolade I ever got from mounting one of these shows came from two little boys.  The confided to their dad that they did not know why I kept telling them how proud I was of their hard work.  They did not feel like it was work at all.  They were having so much fun! 

          Who says learning can't be fun?

         In the theater world, we call the preparation, casting, rehearsing, and doing all things related to producing a musical play MOUNTING a production.  To put on a full-scale production or even a scaled-back production involves many elements and takes time and energy.

          So, how much time should I allow to do all it takes to MOUNT a production?

          That will depend on a few things: Schedule, Budget, Helpers, and the Stage, well actually, the availability of rehearsal and performance spaces. 

          Schedule - My rule of thumb for doing a 20-30 minute children’s theater production is to plan 20 to 25+ hours of rehearsal time.  For a longer, more complicated show plan 30-35+ hours at a bare minimum.  Now, MOUNTING a smaller in-class mini-musical with fewer complications may only take 6-10 hours of dedicated rehearsal/teaching time depending on how many extra teaching activities you want to include.  Plan the schedule very carefully to work the children in short segments.  Vary the activities every 10-15 minutes so that they stay invigorated through singing, movement, doing worksheets, thinking/memorizing/lecture time, and acting segments and still be able to get much accomplished in each session.

          Budget – Most shows can be MOUNTED with any amount of budget depending on how creative the Director is.  Sets and Costumes can be very expensive especially when multiplied by the size of the cast.  Some productions do not absolutely require elaborate sets and costumes.  Find shows that have suggestions for alternate ways to MOUNT them.  Decide what you can afford and design the production accordingly.

          Helpers – In order to do a musical, the main “helpers” are the Director, Assistant Director (or producer), musical director or vocal coach, stage manager, choreographer, costumer, and scenic designer, and they may even want helpers to help them.  If you do not have people to do these jobs, the few helpers available must do all of the jobs.  Depending on the size of the cast, try to use the 10:1 rule.  For every 8-10 children have at least one adult helper.  That way, the jobs can be equally divided and the children’s varied activities can be more easily managed.

          Stage – “It’s all about the stage” or lack thereof.  In the theater world, this is a common mantra.  Creating the illusion of the world in the story is literally a function of the stage and its limitations.  Sometimes a show must be MOUNTED in a portion of a classroom with none of the conventional perks (lights, sound, curtains, backstage prep area, space, space, and more space).  Sometimes a show will be MOUNTED in a gym with a stage, but the stage still has few of the conventional perks.  So, once again, the production has to be designed within the confines of the space available.  In order to be successful, Directors must be creative!  Sometimes the show won’t move to the stage until the last couple of rehearsals.  In order to effectively rehearse, the rehearsal space must closely match the stage dimensions.  Be sure to measure and set up barriers as necessary to make the practice space resemble closely the feeling of the actual stage.

          So get out there and start MOUNTING one of the Musicals on this site or one of the Mini-Musicals coming soon!  Break a leg!