Active TopicsActive Topics  Display List of Forum MembersMemberlist  CalendarCalendar  Search The ForumSearch  HelpHelp
  RegisterRegister  LoginLogin
Directing
 Community Theater Green Room Discussion Board :Producing Theater :Directing
Message Icon Topic: Directing Elementary school students(Topic Closed Topic Closed) Post Reply Post New Topic
Author Message
Karin
Lead
Lead
Avatar

Joined: 12/27/06
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 47
bullet Topic: Directing Elementary school students
    Posted: 4/23/10 at 9:37am

I have been asked to run a summer play for elementary and middle school aged kids.  The camp meets 3 hours a day.  How many weeks is the LEAST amount of time needed for a cast 0f 20 to memorize and learn basic blocking and acting to put on a short play.

IP IP Logged
vickifrank
Celebrity
Celebrity
Avatar

Joined: 9/21/07
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 332
bullet Posted: 4/23/10 at 4:38pm
It depends on the play.  With a large cast, you might really have only relatively small parts.  But you could have a play with 4 principles and 16 small parts--the principles would need much more work than the rest.
So if you don't say what play it is, you could at least say how many lines or pages the biggest part has....guess how long it would take you to learn the part, then triple the time for a middle schooler.  Remember, that your camp could have rules that include "homework" for those cast as principles, so they learn the lines on their time.
 
Here's the catch with kids--short attention spans.  While you work with one set of kids, you may want a partner to be doing something with the rest.  Most directors of kids that I know separate the kids into predefined groups each run by an adult or competent Teenager assistant.  So while group "A" is working with the musical director, group "B" is learning the dances, and group "C" is learning blocking.
 
(You also didn't mention whether the 3 hours a day were for one day a week or 5 days a week.  If you meet with time inbetween allow a bit of room for kids to forget)
 
Finally, a suggestion.  Maybe some fun ideas can help you.  Consider as part of the activities a "race" to learn your lines.  You can separate the principles from the rest in categories and offer a prize for the winners in each category.  Similar contests can be held for least errors in blocking, most expressive face (offer this contest early, because 3rd graders can mug for-ev-er), best homemade costume, funniest player, funnest person to work with, most improved.  Your prizes can be as simple as a paper plate award.  You have a set of kids with plates and markers (Call them the 'critics') in charge of coming up with the awards for the day and presenting them--do tell them they have to be positive, and appropriate..
_____________

http://www.studio-productions-inc.com
1-800-359-2964

The theater scrim people
IP IP Logged
Post Reply Post New Topic
Printable version Printable version

Forum Jump
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot create polls in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum

Bulletin Board Software by Web Wiz Forums version 8.05
Copyright ©2001-2006 Web Wiz Guide
buy generic cialis are in line cialis canada outcome for yourself viagra sales cost saving benefit viagra uk convert your buy phentermine online pay phentermine cod payment Lenders Everything xanax online your existing xanax overnight absolute must free incest stories online The value gay incest advance The key free dog sex pics cash flow dog sex the reduced noise free gay college guys of the period gay guys