It
is important to play to both the audience in the audience as well
as the children - firstly, for adults, to maintain the intregity
of the play and secondly, for the children, to maintain entertainment
and engagement.
-
The
actor needs to become the character in children's theatre -
to perfect the walk, the voice and the physical carriage.
-
Phony
characterisation can turn children off or make them simply bored.
-
It
is essential that the actor be able to convince the audience
that he believes in the truth of what they are doing.
-
Characterisation
must be tackled with honesty and respect, must not be oversimplified
or condescending and must be played with consistency and concentration.
The
Response
-
The
actor must be able to play 'to' and 'with' an audience
-
Sometimes
children's responses can be overwhelming with their exuberance
and energy.
-
It
is the actor's job to keep the children engaged. Boredom arises
from a sluggish pace in the performance or characterisation
that lacks dimension and variety.
-
Positive
responses often come in the form of:
- An
answer to a rhetorical question in the script.
- A
warning or cheer
- Repeating
a favourite sound or funny line
- Asking
questions from peers or parents about characters
- Acting
out at some physical level the action one wants the character
to perform
Designing
for Children's
Theatre
-
Children
need to understand the 'where' of the play but are capable of
filling in details with their imaginations. A simple set can
be just as effective as an elaborate one.
-
Children
also enjoy spectacle, they love magical transformations, fantastic
scenery, bizarre and original costumes, special effects and
stage machinery.
-
They
love the visual and can cope with changes on stage which present
new and exciting concepts
-
Design,
like all theatre productions, should fit the production and
enhance it.
-
The
designer must find a way to provide a 'unified variety' which
will hold the attention of the audience. An 'active' set - a
rhythm of impressions which are harmonious with the total production.
-
Three
problems that must be considered by all designer's of children's
theatre:
- The
audience's expectations
- Their
need for variety
- The
concern indicated by the specific content of children's plays.
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