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1、 Childrens Theater A Paradigm, Primer, and Resource Kelly and Walter Eggers THE SCARECROW PRESS, INC. Lanham Toronto Plymouth, UK 2010 Published by Scarecrow Press, Inc. A wholly owned subsidiary of The Rowman Blanche Kelly; Barbara Cataldo; Mary Rawlings; Lucille Robinson; Maggie and Annie Mae Hous
2、ton; Viola and Adelmo Vi- alpando; Margaret and Don Boyd; Carolyn and Bob Nelson; Ann and Jim Barlow; Joy and Joe Deaderick; Jane Love; Booie, Jean, and Howard Carroll; and Hans and Elaine Eugster, all of whom taught her respect and the love of young children. ix Introduction: The Oyster River Playe
3、rs First Production of A Midsummer Nights Dream This book tries to explain a miracle: a fine full-scale production of Shake- speares A Midsummer Nights Dream by children who had little experience in theater. They ranged in age between five and fifteen, and most of them were in their fourth year toge
4、ther as a theater company. They took classes in theater and dance, and they performed mainly musicals but also straight plays, on a seasonal schedule of four shows a year. They had never at- tempted such a complex or difficult production, and they succeeded. They knew each other and their teacher-di
5、rector very well, but they did have other friends and lives that were full of school, sports, and their families, even during the six weeks of rehearsals, which took place in the middle of the school year. They had no pedigrees, and their ranks were not winnowed by auditions. Anyone could join the c
6、ompany, and everyone got a part. The only way to account for what these children achieved was what they learned in classes and rehearsals. They took on the challenge of Shakespeare with natural, innocent confi- dence. The plan was to find ways to match the play with their abilities. For their script
7、, the text of the play would be edited, but only to cut the tangled language that would not advance the plot or show off the characters. The actors would study the language hard and deliver it loudly and clearly. The song and dance already built into this script was expanded into “numbers,” because
8、musicals were what these children knew and felt they could con- tribute to the play. The music would be originalspecially written by one of our parents, as it happened. The music and the sets would extend the magic of many, many fairies (a whole cast of younger actors) to the audi- ence. Differences
9、 among kinds of charactersthe fairies and fairy royalty, the mechanicals, the lovers, and the others at the Athens courtwould be x Introduction exaggerated by costumes and makeup, and the clashes among them would be all the more comical. All the features of the production would be built on clear, si
10、mple ideas about the characters and the story. The story was what made this show memorable for the audience. The production was complex, but the story was easy to follow and enjoy. To achieve this, rehearsals had to be hard, because the music and the chore- ography were ambitious and some roles were
11、 double and triple cast. But in the end a young group of actors achieved a successful production of a clas- sic play. The production was rich for the various talents that the performers contributed, but it was also powerfully simple. These are the aims on which this company, called Oyster River Play
12、ers, was founded. The company and the classes came about as many childrens theater companies do: out of school productions for children who wanted more theater, dance, and music than they were getting. Its success is based on trust and a theory of education that centers not on teaching but on stu- d
13、ents learning. Besides classes, rehearsals, and productions, the company offers young people opportunities to reflect on their values and even to change their lives by working together. It gives joy to these children and their families through hard, meaningful work. This book builds on this example
14、of a single small company in New Hampshire. We bring in stories of classes and productions and of the lives of the children who have been company members. We also take on the general subject of childrens theater, past and present, in the United States and abroad. Most writing on the subject of child
15、rens theater is applied, “how-to” advice from teacher to teacher. This book likewise tries to be descriptive and practical, but it is also more general, describing the value of childrens theater to the children themselves and to their audiences. This requires reflecting on the nature of theater and
16、the ways children learn. In this book we offer a point of view about educating children in the arts that is supported by theoretical and critical literature. The opening chapter is the basis for what follows. We describe different styles of learning and performing in different childrens theater companies in different settings. Many of these ideas are best suited to private instruc- tion in the arts, but they can be applied in other settings, even in public schools. We put this c
