KIDS & TEENS WORKSHOPS
ANIMAL ACTING / 60 min and up / Ages 3 and up
Our world is filled with such a wide variety of amazing animals, all of which have something to teach us. In this workshop, we will focus on individual animals using our bodies, voices, and our vivid imaginations to become these marvelous creatures. We will explore their movements, sounds, and natural habits while sharing one of Paddy and Lana’s Whimsical Tales from the Wild Hearts books. With a few simple props and costumes, children will discover the many ways we are connected to these powerful animals and how they can help us in overcoming all of our fears.
PRESCHOOL - Storyacting / 60 min and up / Ages 3-4
Children love to "try on" different characters in stories but often cannot do that in a set presentation. That is when a workshop might be exactly what you need. In a Storyacting Workshop, I bring several different stories that provide an assortment of characters the children love to play, with the intention of allowing them all to have the chance to choose several characters. My trunk is filled with costumes and props brimming with possibilities. I narrate the stories while the children add their own imaginations and something wonderfully creative begins to happen.
The stories themselves are all age appropriate and the list is endless.
Workshops can be booked for one day, one week, or anything in between.
The full week long workshops can also end in a mini presentation for the entertainment of family and friends.
FAIRYTALES & FABLES - Storyacting / 60 min and up / Ages 5-8
Children are always fascinated by fairytales and fables, and many of them are familiar with these stories. Storyacting allows the children the opportunity to be many different characters and exercise their own creativity in playing various roles. This workshop can be custom designed to fit fairytales or fables of your liking, or I can choose the ones that best fit your group. Boys and girls enjoy using the costumes and props that enhance the visual aspect of performing these.
Multiple days of these workshops are also available and can be custom designed to suit your needs.
Mini-presentations of the creative work done by the children in these workshops always make for a perfect ending to entertain parents and friends.
MULTI-CULTURAL - Storyacting / 60 min and up / Ages 5 - 8
Stories come from all over our world and are wonderful tools to help us acquaint children with the customs and beliefs of various people. I love some of the old stories of Anansi, the trickster spider that comes from Africa, or The Ram in the Chili Patch that comes from Mexican folklore. These stories not only provide many interesting characters for children to play, but they help children develop ethnic literacy. They provide the understanding of traditions, values, and symbols of an ethnic group, and the common bonds that link us together as humans. Children act out these stories, playing a variety of characters. A trunk filled with costumes and props enhance the experience.
Multiple days of this workshop provide more opportunities for children to experience different cultures.
A sampling of the stories is a great way to entertain family and friends on the final day of class.
DRAMA DAZE / 60 min and up / Ages 9-13
Drama Daze is a wonderful combination of basic acting techniques, theatre games, and improvisation. This workshop is perfect for children interested in discovering their own creative theatrical skills and those who already have a penchant for theatre. Many of the exercises are done with partners and in small groups. Focus is on using the body, the voice, and the imagination.
Requirements: A large open space
Multiple days of this workshop allow the children to truly experience the many facets of theatre and help them to develop their own talents. If desired, a sampling of some of the exercises can be done at the end of the sessions for family and friends to view. Great fun!
THIS WORKSHOP CAN BE ADAPTED FOR ANY GROUP AGE UPON REQUEST.
SHAKESPEARE WORKSHOP, A PLAY ON WORDS - Storyacting / 60 min / Ages 14 and up
Shakespeare invented many of the original words we still use in today’s English language. He created over 1,700 words by changing many existing nouns into verbs, verbs into adjectives, and by adding prefixes and suffixes to them, not to mention an inventing brand new words in general. He truly was a “word-smith” to be sure! A PLAY ON WORDS is a 60-minute workshop where we use many Shakespearian words in small group skits and have fun acting them out for one another. You don’t need to have any knowledge of theater or even of Shakespeare to participate in this workshop. It is a great way to celebrate Shakespeare and all of his wonderful contributions to our world.
THIS WORKSHOP CAN BE ADAPTED FOR ANY AGE GROUP 8 YEARS-OLD AND UP.
DREAM THEATER / 120 min and up / Ages 14 and up
Dreams have been around since the beginning of time. There are countless books on dreaming and dream interpretation, yet each person’s dreams are unique. Even Shakespeare himself said, “We are such stuff as dreams are made on.” In this 2-hour intensive workshop, participants explore dreams through movement, voice, and imagination, creating fanciful and limitless scenarios that can be in or out of this world. Dress comfortably and be prepared to explore the realm of possibilities that dreams offer.
