The picture evidence was all there. I knew I had painted sets, collected props, made a lot of mouse ears and tails and ant feelers. I knew I had costumes for at least eight little ants and 10 little mice. But could I find those tubs out in my shed? Not within easy reach, anyway!
The shows I am choosing to do for my 2026 Summer Theater Camp are "The Ants and the Grasshopper" for the 5-7 year-olds and "The Country Mouse and the City Mouse" for the the 8-11 year-olds. As often happens, I assemble the list of interested young people and am surprised that so many of them are new to me. There will only be a few cast members this year that I already know.
The shows I am choosing to do for my 2026 Summer Theater Camp are "The Ants and the Grasshopper" for the 5-7 year-olds and "The Country Mouse and the City Mouse" for the the 8-11 year-olds. As often happens, I assemble the list of interested young people and am surprised that so many of them are new to me. There will only be a few cast members this year that I already know.
And this year I will have quite a few more children than the scripts were written for. So once again, I will need to be creative. I have been working on adding a few more character names and giving them lines. So many new 5 and 6 year-olds! We'll see if they will be willing to deliver lines alone or if I will need to group them into "friends."
But in any case, I still had to find my tubs of costumes and props. My shed is completely full. Large tubs are stacked six high! I try to put the lighter ones on the top, but still, the stacks are much taller than I can reach. Fortunately, my tall son came to the rescue to move some of the highest tubs.
Unfortunately, as I looked through the painted flats, I found that I had allowed the artists last year to paint over the three big flats I had created for these two little shows. So, those will need to be repainted. (I have run out of room to store any more big flats.)
Unfortunately, as I looked through the painted flats, I found that I had allowed the artists last year to paint over the three big flats I had created for these two little shows. So, those will need to be repainted. (I have run out of room to store any more big flats.)
Once we moved all of the flats out of the shed, we looked seriously at all of the stacks of tubs. I had labeled them, but not with very detailed contents lists. Most just had the show title. Once again, my memory was jumbled and I knew I had made and used a lot of basic costume pieces for these two shows. Then I remembered that I have also used those same basic costume pieces like black pants and shirts and colorful skirts in other shows. Oh, dear!
Years go by quickly when you keep busy. And I must have kept busy over the years because, I couldn't believe that the last time i mounted these shows was before the Pandemic. So, of course, the tubs I needed were the lowest in the stacks at the very back of the shed. I ended up having to move practically every tub out of the way.
Together, the combined shows are called "You Can Learn a Lot." I'd better get crackin' to get everything ready in the next few weeks! I will still have to collect a few more basic black costumes and make some more mouse ears and tails, but I was lucky to find most of what I needed.
Funny, how it's always the last place you look!
Together, the combined shows are called "You Can Learn a Lot." I'd better get crackin' to get everything ready in the next few weeks! I will still have to collect a few more basic black costumes and make some more mouse ears and tails, but I was lucky to find most of what I needed.
Funny, how it's always the last place you look!
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