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 Ukulele. I will 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!
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 Ukulele. I will 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!
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