Director's Notes- Peter Pan
Susan Leigh
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to go back up to the table of contents.
4. Production History
5. Flying By Foy
7. Activities
a. Younger
Set
b. Older
Set
8. Questions
a. Younger
Set
b. Older
Set
10. Theater Etiquette
Director's Notes- Peter
Pan
Susan Leigh
When I choose a play to direct at the Theater School, I try to think of a script that will give our DePaul students a challenge, and also be just as interesting for our audience as well. I thought that this year it might be especially interesting for the design team, the actors and myself to look at one play through the eyes of a child and an adult. The one story that came clearly to mind that might work was Peter Pan. It speaks to the smallest of children with all it's spectacle and fantasy. The older children can relate to characters who are their own age and that they could play on-stage tomorrow. The adults remember the magic of the first time they saw it when they were kids! And for the students at DePaul who are on the creative stuff, it's all of that plus it's the story of the lives we lead as artists. In the theater, our goal is to never grow up enough to forget how to play and be able to fly away to Neverland.
Once I began to research the original text, I also became enthralled with the details of how this story got it's start. James Barrie never had any children of his own, but he spent a lot of time playing with the children of two friends of his. His friends were killed in the same year and he adopted their children, then five boys, as the girl in the family, Wendy, had died herself at a very early age. In order to keep these boys happy and to create a new family unit, he wrote down and further developed characters that he and the boys had played together. Barrie himself had always been Captain Hook when they played for hours in the Kensington Gardens as photographs reveal. So I became even more attached to this story that had at it's heart more reality than I had expected to find. Scenes like the return from Neverland when Wendy asks her father if they can adopt the five lost boys she brings back from Neverland take on new meaning in the light of this discovery.
One great disappointment to me as I looked at the original texts for production was that they were anything but politically correct. They seemed very dated in their racist and sexist casting and characterization. Written at they beginning of this century, it was plain to see how far our sensitivities have actually developed in cultural matters since then. There is little one can do to revise a classic by license, so I began to think of how I could still do this play and not offend the audience because I wasn't able to change it! There are freedoms in design and directing choices. In order to make it accessible to today's youth, I set it in Chicago 1997. I thought that one modern kid's view of Neverland might be to have the Loop all to yourself, no adults, no rules; just other kids and a lot of magic. I have attempted to cast in a more multicultural way to better reflect a 90's urban environment as best I could from our existing pool of actors at DePaul. I have cast some roles differently than they were originally cast with regards to gender as well. In costume and characterization choices I have also tried to strengthen and empower some roles without changing the story line in any way.
So, the desire is for us to present you with a Peter Pan that you as teachers and parents will recognize. The songs, the story, the thrill of the flying, the special relationships of the kids and their desire to never grow up are still intact. But it has a new look and a new feel in spots. I hope that the set brings in just enough of a cityscape to spur kids to imagine their own urban vision of Neverland. I hope that the pirates being scary street punks makes them more real than Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean might seem. I hope that the young girls see Tiger Lily as a strong young woman who ultimately has the courage and street smarts to save her friend, Peter Pan. The hopes are that by design, we bring this classic to today's kids in a way they can truly access the original message.
For us, as theater artists, the expectations are that this experience will make us ask ourselves many questions about how this story reflects our exciting, yet often scary and lonely artistic lives. Without distorting the original message, I hope our individual soul searching will personalize the story in ways that are deeply moving. There are many people who have been working for months to make this project happen. There has been good energy from the start. We hope to share that magic with you when you come!
There is, in many of our stories for children, a spoken or unspoken moral lesson that is often brought to fruition by violence. Certainly, as many of our educational theorists have discovered, these kinds of structures exist in the stories of The Brothers Grimm, for example. I directed Snow White and Rose Red a few years ago in the playworks series. We did a lot of ethical wrestling with the violence in that story and how to portray it on-stage. Again, in Peter Pan, we have found that there is a lot of implied and explicit violence in Neverland, mostly coming from the pirates. We toyed with the idea of gleaning what we could from the text, but there are too many direct references and we are not allowed to alter the script. So what we have done is come up with a representation that reality and fantasy in a modern way that we believe is in the spirit of the original and is also Grimm-like. Although there is violence, we hope it is not glamorized by our choices. We plan to show that these violent choices are all poorly made by the pirates, clearly the bad guys of the story and the losers of the play! We hop that it will be clear to all that because they have made bad choices, that's why they lose. We also hope that for older kids, there will be some interesting conversations sparked by this element. We know all to well that our kids are having to deal with this on a day-to-day basis. Ultimately, it seems it's better to talk about it than to pretend it doesn't exist.
J. M. Barrie was born May 9, 1960 in Kirriemuir,
Scotland. Margaret Oglivy raised him in the midst of 10 other children,
the mother he adored.
When Barrie was six, his older brother David (the
mother's favorite) died and Barrie spent the rest of his childhood trying
to replace his brother for his mourning mother. This attempt to replace
a forever-young David would take it's toll on the rest of Barrie's adult
life and his writing. Barrie could be described as small and shy.
As a man, he stood little more than five feet, was quiet and awkward around
women.
Fortunately for Barrie, he was a success as a writer.
He got his start as a writer for the Nottingham Journal after graduating
from Edinburgh University. Before this time though, Barrie had already
been captivated by the theater and after having short stories and several
successful books published, Barrie finally wrote his first play--Ibsens's
Ghost (1891). He followed this with Walker, London, during
the production of which he met his future wife--the actress--Mary Ansell.
The marriage was not a success, but in it's duration Barrie wrote his most
successful plays, including The Little Minister (1897), The Admirable
Crichton (1902), and his most memorable work--Peter Pan (1904).
Barrie wrote Peter Pan as a tribute to the
sons of his friends Sylvia and Arthur Llewelyn Davies. It was distinctly
different from the previous, more mature material that Barrie had written
and would write. Peter Pan was a fantasy, but not any mere
fairy tale. Like Peter Pan himself, Barrie was a boy who refused
to grow up. Barrie took such elements of life as his awkwardness
with, yet dependence opon women, his love of children, and his own longing
for childhood and shaped them into one of the best-loved stories of all
time.
Peter Pan was Barrie's greatest success.
In 1912, he turned it into a book, called "Peter and Wendy". However,
after writing Peter Pan, he went on to write more plays. What
Every Woman Knows (1906), Dear Brutus (1917), and Mary Rose
(1920) were all very well received plays.
On a more personal note, Barrie's wife--Mary Ansell--divorced
him in 1908. That same year, Arthur Llewelyn Davies died of cancer
and in 1910 his wife Sylvia followed him, with the same disease.
Barrie was left to take care of all five Davies boys, whom he treated like
him own children. In later years, Barrie was made a baronet and received
several honorary degrees on account of his literary figure. He died
in 1937 after a long life.
To read more books about or by J. M. Barrie, we
recommend:
For younger readers:
J. M. Barrie and the Magic of Peter Pan (I have yet to check
the author on this)
Peter
and Wendy
The Little White Bird
Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens
When Wendy Grew Up: An Afterthought
For older readers:
The Peter Pan Chronicles, by Bruce K. Hanson
J. M. Barrie and the Lost Boys, by Andrew Birkin
Sentimental Tommy
Tommy and Grizel
Margaret Oglivy
Before it was a play, Peter Pan was a small
story in a 1902 book by Barrie called The Little White Bird. The
charater of Peter from this novel was developed into the play Peter
Pan, or The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up, in 1904. In 1906, the section
of The Little White Bird that originated Peter Pan was published
separately as a book called Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens. Finally,
Barrie turned his highly successful play into a novel called Peter
and Wendy (1911).
The play Peter Pan started out as skits acted
out for (and with) the sons of Sylvia and Arthur Llewelyn Davies, but turned
into one of the most popular plays ever. Barrie wrote the full-length
play in reaction to the Davies children's reaction to a pantomime
play. Barrie figured it would be easy and profitable to write a similar
play. However, Barrie's script was originally rejected because it
was so elaborate. In 1904, plays generally did not involve flying
and such frequent and major scene changes.
With the confidence od producer and friend, Charles
Frohman, Barrie put Peter Pan into production. Actress Nina
Boucicault originated the role of Peter. And as if having a 37-year-old
woman play a one-day-old boy was not unusual enough, the production of
Peter Pan did not follow a traditional path. Barrie gave minimal
character notes to actors, as well as only a few pages of script at a time.
He was a perfectionist as a director, often keeping cast and crew up to
15-18 hours at a time. Plus, the cast tended to find out about flying
at the last minute.
Despite it's hefty technical requirements, unusual
rehearsal process and absurd, fantastical plot elements, Peter Pan
was a success. It swept England and then the United States in 1905,
with Maude Adams as the lead. Adams would go on to play the role
of Peter Pan until 1915. Oddly enough however, in all the seasons
that Maude Adams played the role, Barrie never got the opportunity to see
her perform as Peter.
The role of Peter Pan went on to be played by grown
women until the early 1980's--almost 70 years after it's debut--but the
memorable Peter Pans have always been women. Pauline Chase was Barrie's
favorite. She played the role for nine straight seasons in London,
from 1906-1914. Another actress who played Peter Pan for nine seasons
in London was Jean Forbes-Robertson. She took the role 1927-1935,
in addition to the 1938-1939 season. In London, the role would later
be played be such actresses as Hayley Mills and Maggie Smith. On
Broadway, Peter Pan has been played by Maude Adams (1905-1915), Marilyn
Miller (1924-1925), Eva La Gallienne (1928-1933), Anne Edgar (1946), Jean
Arthur (1950-1951), Mary Martin (1954), Sandy Duncan (1979-1980) and most
recently Cathy Rigby (1990-1991). In addition, Peter Pan has
been shown on television, been immortalized by Walt Disney as a cartoon
film, and been made into two other movies: Peter Pan (1924) and
Hook (1992).
To read more about Peter Pan we recommend:
J. M. Barrie and the Magic of Peter Pan
The Peter Pan Chrinicles, by Bruce K. Hanson
Fifty Years of Peter Pan, by Roger Lancelyn Green
Peter Pan's Post Bag, by Pauline Chase
In 1941, Peter Foy became the youngest professional
stage manager in the United Kingdom. Part of his job was to oversee
the flying mechanisms and flying actors in the production. Nine years
later he was flying Jean Arthur on her tour as Peter Pan. Four years
later it was Mary Martin...
And so began Peter Foy's long relationship with
Peter Pan and the development of Foy Inverterprises, the owners
of "Flying by Foy". In 1957, while Mary Martin was playing Peter
Pan, flying by Foy was introduced. Peter Foy invented such machinery
as the "Inter-Related Pendulum" system, the "Floating Pulley" system and
the ever-popular and successful "Track on Track" system. This system
is the one commonly used in theaters today, when actors are required to
fly.
In 1967 Foy Inventerprises Incorporated was established.
To this day, Foy Inc. handles flying in shows the whole world over.
In addition to Jean Arthur and Mary Martin, Foy has flown such popular
Peter Pans as Sandy Duncan and most recently Cathy Rigby. For the
last forty years, Foy has been flyer of Peter Pan. Peter Foy
and his son Garry Foy continue to develop new technology to bring Foy into
the 21st century.
This is not the first time we have used Flying by
Foy at The Theater School. Our director-Susan Leigh-worked with Foy
in 1994 on Snow White and Rose Red. Our production of Peter
Pan uses the Flying by Foy "Track on Track" system for the character
of Peter Pan. All other flying characters are flown with "Single
Point Pickups".
Erin Kehr--Set Design Concept
Peter Pan is a classic tale known by most adults and children. To those who have encountered Peter in any other media, this show will look very different. Rather than place the show in an island jungle, we decided to set it in the concrete jungle known to Chicago's children; the city. What is important to remember about Never-Neverland, no matter what it looks like, is that it is only a starting place for your imagination. What we have placed on the stage is only another imagination's view of what everybody has within themselves. Put most directly, the concept behind this set is this: any place, even the city you live in everyday, can be magical. It's all in how you look at it.
Tim Mazurek--Costume Design Concept
One of the challenges a classic such as Peter Pan is that everyone expects it to look a certain way. I feel fortunate to be working on this production of Peter Pan because our director has decided to approach the play from a new and exciting point of view. People will come to the theater expecting to see Peter in green tights, and they will be surprised. We were given the opportunity to reinvent the characters and places in Peter Pan. Since we decided to set our version of the play in a modern urban environment, the costumes needed to reflect that world. It was also important to use the costumes to separate the different groups and worlds of the play. Through the use of color, texture, and line we have visually separated the pirates, indians, Lost Boys and Darlings from each other. The looks of the groups from Neverland are all inspired by modern fashion; it is a very urban look. The indians are in costumes with a grunge, retro look; lots of color and pattern. The Lost Boys are a group of private-school kids that are now living in the streets of Neverland. They are wearing old tattered uniforms. The third group in Neverland, the pirates, has a style which is different which is different from the other two groups. It is dark and sleek; lots of leather and tattoos. By using elements like color and pattern, as well as make-up and hair, we are able to create distinct groups that can exist in the same world of Neverland.
Jeff Webb--Sound Design Concept
The sound designer has the luxury of seeing most of the other designers' work before having to execute his or her own design. Because a sound designer's media is magnetic tape (or a computer hard drive) it is possible to make changes much easier than if your design is built out of wood, steel, or even fabric. I also benefit from input generated by the director and actors throughout the rehearsal process. For example, because some of the buildings in Erin's set are a little wavy and distorted, I know that there is some opportunity to play with distortion and other effects on some of the sounds that I choose to use. Maybe some of the sounds will be out of place or played backwards. Or maybe because some of the settings are abstracted, the ambient sounds will need to be more realistic to help establish a sense of place or time. All of these factors will need to be balanced in the execution of of the sound design. And, of course, sound designing a musical means making sure the singers and music are both heard by the audience. That means microphones; perhaps a lot of them. I'll learn more about the microphone needs of the show when the show is cast and in rehearsal.
John Marovich--Lighting Designer
The lighting for Peter Pan will consist of two basic palettes; one that is realistic, and another that is straight from the imagination. The lighting for the Darlings' home is entirely motivated by realistic sources (i.e. home lighting fixtures, the fireplace, moonlight etc.). In contrast the lighting for the rest of the production stems from a fantasy palette that is free from rules and regulations. I am using the work of Vincent VanGogh, Georgia O' Keefe, and Rene Magritte as inspiration for the fantasy world's impressionistic composition. While VanGogh is the only actual impressionist of the three, all of them are wonderful sources of color and line.
-We all have a place like Neverland in our own imaginations where time stands still and everything is just the way we want it to be. Draw a picture of what your Neverland looks like as you see it.
-What would Tinkerbell look like if we could see her? Does she resemble other characters that we know? Or does she have another worldly shape and color? Draw what you see when you think of Tinkerbell.
-What do you think about living forever as a kid and never growing up? Would you be interested in doing that? What are the good parts of that? What would you miss if you never grew up?
-Peter Pan is also about the idea of "play vs. work". Do you still make believe, pretending you are Peter or Wendy or Hook? At what age do you think we start to tell children to stop pretending? Do you get embarrassed when someone catches you playing make-believe? Do you think we should always be able to pretend? Do you think we let boys or girls play pretend longer? When do we start to think it's babyish?
-Mr. Darling becomes Hook in Neverland. What questions does that make you ask about parents in 1904 when this play was originally written? Do you know a Hook-like adult? Do you have a friend like Peter? If you did what advice what you give him?
-Neverland is a fantasy world, but it is not perfect. There is danger there in the form of the pirates and the crocodile. Can you imagine a perfect world?
-What does Wendy bring into Peter and the Lost Boys' lives? What good qualities? (i.e. Kindness, Generosity, Organization etc.)
-Only women played the part of Peter for years. In our play, Smee is a woman, the indians are men and women, etc. What if Wendy was a boy and the Lost Boys were Lost Girls? How would this change the play? Try this with other plays/books/movies you know.
-The kids go to bed and then the whole adventure starts when Peter arrives. Do you think it's like a dream? Do you remember your dreams? Have you ever had a dream where you were flying? Or one where you were chased by pirates?
-What do you think about the idea of having a dog baby-sit you like Nana, the Darling's dog in the story? Have you ever had a pet that you felt took care of you in ways, too? Do you know pets that care for humans like humans for children?
-What is it about being able to fly like birds without a plane that is appealing to humans? Describe how you think it would feel to fly away in the night to another place far away.
-Which group in Neverland of the three, the Lost Boys, the pirates, the indians, would you like to play with? Which character in that group most appeals to you.
-The Lost Boys eat imaginary food in Neverland. It seems that no one ever gets hungry or tired. Does that appeal to you?
-What is a world without adults to you? Fantasy? Nightmare? Boring?
Older Set-Activities/Discussions
-Write a sequel to Peter Pan. Tell us what happens when Peter and Jane, Wendy's daughter fly away to Neverland. Do they have similar type of experiences? Does the fact that Jane has been raised 20-30 years later than Wendy change the way she reacts to Neverland? Does the lack of technology seem odd to her?
-Cast your favorite actors in a movie version you are directing. Would you change the look of the Darling home? The locale? The year? How would you enhance Neverland for the movie going public? Would you add more special effects?
-Write a biography for your favorite characters in Neverland. Tell us their past. Where did they live before we saw them? What happened to them that put them there in Neverland?
-Is there any way to make Peter Pan a completely politically correct play? What would have to change?
-Barrie put elements of his own life into Peter Pan. He took a sad reality and turned it into a fantasy. Take something in your life and write a fantasy story that goes exactly as you would want it to.
-There is a certain level of violence in Peter Pan, which cannot be denied. How do you feel the violence was handled? Do you think it was like the violence in Grimm's fairy tales? Did you relate to the pirates as they were portrays as urban tuffs? What made them resort to violence? What do you think it represents in the world of fantasy that is Neverland?
-In our production, the indians are not necessarily representative of a Native American tribe, but instead as a group of street kids who hang together. They have their love of skating in common. Do you know kids like this at your school? Is there another sport that brings kids together at your school?
-Describe how you think it would feel to fly through the air like Peter Pan. Make sure you try to use all five senses in your description of the experience! Write it in the first person and describe it to someone. Maybe it develops into a poem or song or rap.
-What is it about being able to fly that appeals to humans so much? What other works of literature have the characters flying or being transported through space and time? Are there movies you have seen with flying in them? Do you think it's better to read and imagine about these things or to see them interpreted by someone?
-What would be the pros and cons of being able to live forever as a kid? Would you be interested in trying it, taking the risk that you would like it?
-What do you think about the place of women in Neverland? Do you that this is a reflection of the year when it was originally written? We tried to improve the status of women somewhat by casting, costuming and characterization. Tell us what you think of our Wendy, Smee, Mrs. Darling and Tiger Lily. Were they an improvement over the original portrayal of those characters as you remember them?
More Activities- For
Any Age Group
Improvisation
1. One night, when you are sleeping, a creature flies into your room, awakens you, and asks you to fly away with him/her to a place where there are no adults! Do you go? Would you leave a note? Would you wake up your brothers and sisters and take them along? Would you call and tell your friends you'll be by to pick them up? Improvise the possibility in a small group.
2. Once in Neverland, you see things take place that are dangerous, unfair, or illegal by your group. Do you speak up to teach them what you know? Do you try to stop them? Would you fight for what you believe is the right way to live? Improvise first in small groups of indians, lost boys and pirates. Then add a fourth group of kids from here who are new to your Neverland. Then combine the groups. Let the kids from here add on to whatever group they identify with. Then, once combined, have the groups interact and improvise and how they will decide who should live where, who should be the leaders, who should do the work...negotiate a living arrangement for this new society.
3. Break the class up into groups of 3-5 students. Give them 10 minutes to decide what are the main ten points or events in the story. The the group needs to find tableau pictures to represent each of their main points. They will need to play many characters and be creative about body language to communicate the ideas they choose because their group is so small. They will rehearse them in sequence. Then let the whole group watch each group in turn as they quickly go from one frame to the next, freezing only ten seconds or so in between each to let the audience see. This exercise is lots of silly fun, but it quickly lets us all discuss what we think are the main events or plot points in the play. The discussion can then go further to critique whether or not the production made these clear and important as well. Or how it could have been done better.
Word Web
To show the class how it works, start with one word in the middle of a circle on the board and ask the class to offer other words that it makes them think of when they see it. These other words can be any part of speech, but only one word at a time. Connect the words to the center with threads of a web that show the relationship between the two. You can start with Peter Pan in the middle at first, meaning the story of Peter Pan. Or you can start with a word like Childhood, Neverland, or Flying.
Then ask the class to do their own word web. Place their favorite character in the center of the circle and then connect the words/ideas that are related to that character.
Then ask the students to put their webs on the board around the original web. If more than one person worked on 'Hook' for example, they can work at the board as a team.
Then as a class, find the words that are the same and connect these words with a line, even if they're way across the board from each other. It will show how the characters are related to the ideas in the minds of the class and be a great jumping off point to discuss what the class feels are the main issues in the story.
Fundraising Idea:
You (the school) buy 2-4 tickets from the Merle Reskin box office.
Have an inexpensive raffle in your school to give away the tickets.
Or, have a contest ("Best picture of Neverland" "Best Peter Pan costume"
are some suggestions).
1. Although you need not dress formally, please dress appropriately.
2. Loud talking is not appreciated during performances; please whisper.
3. Although food and drink are not permitted into the theater, if you need cough drops, please have them unwrapped before the show begins.
4. Try to have keys and bangle bracelets secured before the performance begins, as the jingle may distract other audience members.
5. Make sure beepers, watch alarms and cellular phones are all silenced before the performance.
6. Please remember that when you lean your head next to the person beside you, this obstructs the view of those behind you.
7. Do not wear a large amount of perfume or cologne; many people are highly allergic to these fragrances.
8. Try to remember to take care of rest room needs before the performance begins, because Peter Pan has no intermission. Some theaters do not permit patrons to return to their seats after they have left (even for the rest room) if the performance is in progress.
9. It is courteous to wait until after the house lights have come up to leave a performance, because leaving while the show is in progress can be distracting to others.
10. Courtesy is the rule of thumb in the theater. Do onto others as you would have them do onto you.
The Teacher's Guide to Theater Etiquette
Introduction to the theater: Going to see a production at the theater is an exciting experience! You will be watching live actors perform on stage. This makes each showing very special. No two shows are alike, due to the spontaneity of live performances. If an actor forgets his/her lines, accidentally trips on stage, or if there is a problem with scenery, it all becomes a part of the performance. However, you might need a keen eye to pick out these blunders. The actors are very skilled at staying in character and making sure that the show continues on.
What to expect: Many theaters are very ornately decorated with chandeliers, high ceilings, and beautiful carpets. It is a grand experience! After entering the lobby of the theater, you should stay in a single file line. This will make it easier for your class to walk together down the aisles without getting separated or interrupting other groups or audience members. You will receive a program that explains the details of the performance.
What is expected of me? Everyone uses hushed voices in the theater. Noise carries very easily due to the high ceilings and raised seating. The theater is made this way so that the performers can be heard all over the theater when they are on stage. After you are seated, the lights will dim until is it dark in the seating areas, but there is some light near the stage. (Don't worry!--you'll still be able to see!) This is a sign that the performance is starting. You will notice that the curtains are closed on the stage. The curtains will open only after the lights have dimmed. The opening of the curtains means the performance has begun. If you need to talk to someone during a performance, please use a quiet voice. (Remeber--the actors are on stage, and if you can hear them, they can hear you.) This is a courtesy to the performers and others around you.
Intermission: About half way through the performance, the curtains will close and the lights in the theater will go on. This "break" in the show will last for about 10 minutes and allows enough time for getting a drink of water and going to the rest room. When the performance is about to begin again, the usher will sound some chimes and the lights will blink off and then back on three times. This signals that it is time to take your seat. Again, the lights will dim and then the curtains will open and the performance will resume where it left off.
When the curtain closes: After the performance is over, the curtain will close. This is the appropriate time for applause. The curtains will re-open and actors will bow to the audience. Sometimes honored guests will be invited to approach the stage. These are usually important people who have worked behind the scenes on the production of the show. Audience members sometimes stand to applaud, showing how much they enjoyed the performance. Your applause is greatly appreciated by all of those who worked on the production; however, please remember that yelling is never appropriate behavior for the theater.
Please Note: Please remain sitting in your seat until the entire performance has ended and the lights have come on in the theater. This ensures that you do not block anyone's view of the stage. While you may stand to applaud if you wish, we ask that afterwards you site in your seat until your teacher has designated that it is time for your class to leave the theater.
Finally... The most important rule of the theater is the golden rule: "Do onto others as you would have them do onto you." Courtesy makes everything run smoothly in the theater, making the experience much more pleasant for everyone. Most of all...
2. In addition to this practice, or as a separate project after the performance, have the class make up a play that shows what they have learned in the areas of science, spelling, art, writing, social studies or even math. All students can be a part of this process. Creating scenery, writing the play, music, and leadership are all very important parts of theater.
Note: The arts are a very important aspect of education and we hope that you take advantage of this experience and add it to the classroom. Educator Howard Gardner at Harvard University with his 'Project Zero' has identified "seven discrete ways people learn and create themselves: language, math and logic, music, spatial reasoning, movement, interpersonal intelligence--how we know others, and personal intelligence--how we know ourselves." Integrating the arts education in school has been shown to increase attendance rates for both students and teachers. It allows the teachers to combine their specific area of study with an imaginative and creative way of expressing learned knowledge. This can also provide the teachers with a sense of renewal and challenge. Art explores emotion and imagination and t builds self confidence that will show long after their "practice" theater session is over. Children are very naturally creative, and using the arts as a means to express their talents and minds can be very rewarding.