Children‟s Drama Creative Drama

Children‟s Theatre

Children‟s Drama

Children‟s Drama is an all

inclusive term for creative

drama, children‟s theatre,

recreational theatre and

formal classes for children

in acting or stagecraft.

Children‟s Drama

Creative drama is the

informal activity in

which children are

guided by a leader to

express themselves

through the medium of

drama.

Performance is not

the goal, but rather

the expression of the

child‟s creative

imagination. The use

of exercises to draw

on and study to

improve learning.

Children‟s Drama

Play performed at

elementary school

uses “audience

participation” to help

further the action in

the play.

Children‟s Drama

The leader of creative dramatics may receive special training in theatre and child developmental psychology.

Exercises in relaxation, imagination, and improvisation

Children‟s Drama

Children‟s Theatre is

described as a play

performed for children

in the audience.

Actors can be adults

performing for

children.

Recreational Drama is

also Children‟s

Theatre. A play

performed for children

in the audience.

Actors are children

performing for

children.

Children‟s Drama

Children‟s Drama

History.

1903 in New York, Children’s Educational Theatre.

Peter Pan opened on Broadway in 1903. Many shows are focused on children, look at Lion King.

Many other theatres for children started after WWII.

Many other theatres for children started after WWII.

Children‟s Theatre of Minneapolis

Aurand Harris, playwright of many children’s plays.

Moses Goldberg, children‟s drama philosopher and developer of drama for children.

Children‟s Drama

Stanislavsky said “It is

necessary to act for

children as well as

adults, only better.”

Child audiences can

lose interest and be

bored.

Children‟s Drama

Benefits:

Builds self esteem for the youngster

who do participate.

Entertainment.

Psychological growth.

Educational exposure

Aesthetic appreciation

Development of future audiences.

Children‟s Drama

Children‟s Theatre

employs all the

elements of a

performance for adult

audiences, actors,

scenery, script,

costumes, lighting,

props, but focus is on

a younger audience.

Plays are written

specifically for youth using

stories that are of interest

to that age group: fairy

tales, fantasy, legends,

but can also deal with

social issues such as drug

and alcohol abuse and

divorce. Production styles

vary and most avoid

realism.

MOTHER HICKS

By Suzan Zeder

MOTHER HICKS

“Girl”, an orphan

Mother Hicks, the

witch

Tuc – Narrator,

deaf/mute

MOTHER HICKS

Themes include:

• A place to call „home‟.

• A sense of belonging.

• Discrimination.

• Do not judge a book by it‟s

cover.