Why Do Children’s Theater Musicals?
In writing these musicals, I tried to endow the stories with meaningful parts for even the youngest actors. So many times in the theater, the shows feature only a few actors instead of letting each player have a chance to shine. My goals have been to build a broad ensemble cast, to have interaction among the characters, strong character development, opportunities for featured roles for all actors, and have lots of singing and dancing to enliven the story and make it memorable. Another goal was to create short, catchy songs with accompaniment that supports but never overwhelms the small voices of the young actors. The music also reflects the cultural heritage of these ancient folktales. These shows are sophisticated enough to be produced with elaborate sets and costumes yet flexible enough to be mounted on no proper stage at all with minimal sets and costume requirements. Believe me, I have directed these shows in classrooms using just simple costumes and props, in churches with no curtains or lighting, and even on the patio in my own backyard.
Each show has many levels of meaning with an overarching main moral theme. I believe that just as an actor develops a character with practice, so children develop personal character traits with practice. Our children today have many voices bombarding them with selfish and immoral ideas. Children’s Theater is a great venue to help children understand moral values and personal responsibility.
My hope is that the director who chooses to produce these shows will also take the time to teach acting skills through games and activities, to teach good singing technique, and to teach stage deportment and creative movement and dancing through lively choreography. Each of these shows has a cultural and historical setting. Taking the time to research and teach these elements will enrich the experience for the young actors.
---- Betsy Lee Bailey, Author, Composer, Director
Each show has many levels of meaning with an overarching main moral theme. I believe that just as an actor develops a character with practice, so children develop personal character traits with practice. Our children today have many voices bombarding them with selfish and immoral ideas. Children’s Theater is a great venue to help children understand moral values and personal responsibility.
My hope is that the director who chooses to produce these shows will also take the time to teach acting skills through games and activities, to teach good singing technique, and to teach stage deportment and creative movement and dancing through lively choreography. Each of these shows has a cultural and historical setting. Taking the time to research and teach these elements will enrich the experience for the young actors.
---- Betsy Lee Bailey, Author, Composer, Director
Tips for Presenting Children's Musicals
School Model (15-30+ students)
1. Cast main characters and consider using the larger groups of students as a chorus with small groups of specialty dancers.
2. Work out blocking to utilize mics. (A few body mics would be nice.)
3. Recruit parent helpers to manage students, make costumes, set, and props
4. Learn songs by rote/listening to guide performances or recruit a musical director to teach the songs and/or accompany the show
5. Cultural/Character Trait Units –provide activities to help students understand the values or the cultural backgrounds portrayed in the show. Activities in cooking, art, geography, and history could all be worked into these units.
6. Art and Craft activities – each show contains opportunities for students to help create a costume or prop or do a coloring/activity page about the show.
7. Use simplified sets and costumes– Backdrops painted onto freestanding insulation foam board, or cardboard or craft paper hung on the bulletin board may be enough to suggest the setting. Have the chorus students wear solid color T-shirt with jeans or shorts. Then concentrate on creating or obtaining costumes for the essential characters only.
Community Theater or Church Group Model (Large Cast 30+)
Church and community groups often have a large number of child participants. It follows that there is a big pool of parent volunteers available. A wise director will recruit adult Group Leaders to help manage children of graduated ages. For example, in Never Cry Wolf, the acting assignments in the scenes are organized by age groups. The “Little Lambs” are the youngest girl group (5-6 year olds). The “Politicians” consist of the Oldest Boys group (9-12 year olds). The “School Children” consist of both a girls group and a boys group of 7-8 year olds, and so forth. These group leaders will greet and dismiss the children from rehearsal each day, follow them through their rehearsal day, help them learn their lines and lyrics, help them manage their belongings, get them ready for the performance (costume, make-up, hair), and help them make their cues. One invaluable group leader even brought coloring books and other activities to help the youngest children stay quiet back stage between their scenes.
Class or Workshop Model (Small cast)
1. No costumes – consider having all children wear the workshop T-shirt with logo or solid color T-shirt with jeans or shorts.
2. Essential properties and costume pieces only (hats, fans, scrolls, flowers, ribbon wand, fabric river, pot, stones, etc.)
3. Use black stage blocks to suggest levels, furniture, houses, etc.
4. SKILLS– in a workshop or class setting, teaching the ACTING, SINGING, and DANCING skills are the most important goals. The students should understand that the audience will understand the show only through their excellent acting, singing, and dancing skills. They will not be able to rely on fancy costumes and sets to help them tell the story.
Summer Intensive Model (Small cast) - 2 or 3 weeks of camp, 3 hours a day
Have enough helpers – Director, assistant director, music director, and choreographer at the very least. This means that these four people will also handle costuming, set design and building, finding properties, sound and music, stage managing and any other production needs.
Round Robin – divide teaching sessions into 15-20 minute segments and have small groups rotate around learning songs with the music director, dance with the choreographer, lines with the assistant director, and acting skills or games with the director for the first few sessions. After the songs, dances and lines are tackled, modify the segments of time to allow for blocking, and putting the scenes together with the songs and dances. Continue a modified “round robin” as necessary for warm-ups, reviewing, and targeting certain trouble spots. Keep everyone busy and feeling productive. Remember, this is a summer intensive. There is no down time.
Stage Requirements - These shows have been produced in many varied accommodations from proper stages to school classrooms, dance studios, church halls, and even backyard patios. Sometimes lights, sound and curtains are not available at the venue. Be creative. Most of these plays have very simple stage requirements: a flat backdrop, a cardboard castle façade, a few cardboard houses, some fake trees and bushes. Some very successful productions have been mounted out in “nature” utilizing real flowers and bushes.
1. Cast main characters and consider using the larger groups of students as a chorus with small groups of specialty dancers.
2. Work out blocking to utilize mics. (A few body mics would be nice.)
3. Recruit parent helpers to manage students, make costumes, set, and props
4. Learn songs by rote/listening to guide performances or recruit a musical director to teach the songs and/or accompany the show
5. Cultural/Character Trait Units –provide activities to help students understand the values or the cultural backgrounds portrayed in the show. Activities in cooking, art, geography, and history could all be worked into these units.
6. Art and Craft activities – each show contains opportunities for students to help create a costume or prop or do a coloring/activity page about the show.
7. Use simplified sets and costumes– Backdrops painted onto freestanding insulation foam board, or cardboard or craft paper hung on the bulletin board may be enough to suggest the setting. Have the chorus students wear solid color T-shirt with jeans or shorts. Then concentrate on creating or obtaining costumes for the essential characters only.
Community Theater or Church Group Model (Large Cast 30+)
Church and community groups often have a large number of child participants. It follows that there is a big pool of parent volunteers available. A wise director will recruit adult Group Leaders to help manage children of graduated ages. For example, in Never Cry Wolf, the acting assignments in the scenes are organized by age groups. The “Little Lambs” are the youngest girl group (5-6 year olds). The “Politicians” consist of the Oldest Boys group (9-12 year olds). The “School Children” consist of both a girls group and a boys group of 7-8 year olds, and so forth. These group leaders will greet and dismiss the children from rehearsal each day, follow them through their rehearsal day, help them learn their lines and lyrics, help them manage their belongings, get them ready for the performance (costume, make-up, hair), and help them make their cues. One invaluable group leader even brought coloring books and other activities to help the youngest children stay quiet back stage between their scenes.
Class or Workshop Model (Small cast)
1. No costumes – consider having all children wear the workshop T-shirt with logo or solid color T-shirt with jeans or shorts.
2. Essential properties and costume pieces only (hats, fans, scrolls, flowers, ribbon wand, fabric river, pot, stones, etc.)
3. Use black stage blocks to suggest levels, furniture, houses, etc.
4. SKILLS– in a workshop or class setting, teaching the ACTING, SINGING, and DANCING skills are the most important goals. The students should understand that the audience will understand the show only through their excellent acting, singing, and dancing skills. They will not be able to rely on fancy costumes and sets to help them tell the story.
Summer Intensive Model (Small cast) - 2 or 3 weeks of camp, 3 hours a day
Have enough helpers – Director, assistant director, music director, and choreographer at the very least. This means that these four people will also handle costuming, set design and building, finding properties, sound and music, stage managing and any other production needs.
Round Robin – divide teaching sessions into 15-20 minute segments and have small groups rotate around learning songs with the music director, dance with the choreographer, lines with the assistant director, and acting skills or games with the director for the first few sessions. After the songs, dances and lines are tackled, modify the segments of time to allow for blocking, and putting the scenes together with the songs and dances. Continue a modified “round robin” as necessary for warm-ups, reviewing, and targeting certain trouble spots. Keep everyone busy and feeling productive. Remember, this is a summer intensive. There is no down time.
Stage Requirements - These shows have been produced in many varied accommodations from proper stages to school classrooms, dance studios, church halls, and even backyard patios. Sometimes lights, sound and curtains are not available at the venue. Be creative. Most of these plays have very simple stage requirements: a flat backdrop, a cardboard castle façade, a few cardboard houses, some fake trees and bushes. Some very successful productions have been mounted out in “nature” utilizing real flowers and bushes.
Remember that kids have great imaginations!
Let them create their own magic in their own theatrical world.
Let them create their own magic in their own theatrical world.