Marian Scadden, author
  • Home
  • Blog
  • About
  • Books
  • Plays
  • Excerpts
    • White Fire (YA Novel)
    • Armadillos in the Road, A Texas Fable (picture book)
    • Fables (script for children to perform)
    • Wakt Family Reunion (a murder mystery)
    • The Other Art: Theatre Skills that Help Every Child, Home Edition
  • Links
  • Contact

Children's Theatre vs. Real Theatre

6/10/2014

0 Comments

 
Picture
Does children's theater deserve less regard than real theater? I think I need to define and get more specific:
~When I say "deserves less regard," I mean less respect or less attention from the audience. Basically, does the audience get to ignore or, perhaps, make fun of performers if it's just a children's show? Is it alright if the audience becomes disruptive - such as yelling out to the performers, talking out loud or even whispering - if it's a children's show?
~When I say "real theater" I'm talking about going to a building that's got a stage and lights and props and costumes and there's an admissions charge.
~Now to get specific about the show:
What if the show is a group of children who are performing in the living room for their family?
What if the show is a group of children performing in a classroom?
What if the show is a group of children performing in front of their whole school and parents?
Does it matter if they're performing on the floor or on a stage? Should it matter?
What if the costumes or the set aren't fancy?
What if it's an adult troupe performing on the gym floor at a school?
What if it's an adult troupe performing on the grass at a park?
What if it's an adult troupe performing a children's show on a stage in a building that seats 500?

Here's what I think: The quality of the shows are definitely going to change but the quality of the audience behavior should not. I have seen the lack of regard by families who are attending a school production. "It's just the kids," they seem to think as they answer or play with cell phones or allow their younger children to run around. I have seen teachers stand in the back of the gym and carry on not-as-quiet-as-they-think conversations during a children's show put on by adults. For some reason, we've gotten the idea that it's okay to act differently if we're watching
just a children's play than if we are dressed up and paying for a seat at the the-uh-tah. It's not okay. Audience members: act like you're dressed up; act like you paid a pretty penny to be able to watch a children's play, no matter where it's being performed or by whom.

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Marian, that's me!

    I love stories! I love to read fairy tales, fables, stories from around the world. I especially love scifi and fantasy. And I like to write. And watch movies. And play board games. And do theatre things.

    Categories

    All
    Annoyances
    Applause
    Books
    Cell Phones
    Children
    Chocolate
    Critiquing
    Depression
    Duct Tape
    E A Bundy
    Editing
    Enjoyment
    Enthusiasm
    Facing Fears
    Genius
    Grammar
    Healthy Eating
    Henrietta H. House
    Home School
    Indie Authors
    Inspiration For Writers
    I Or Me
    Krispy Kreme Doughnuts
    Lies
    Lists
    Motivation & Inspiration
    Nanowrimo
    Nursery Rhymes
    Procrastination
    Reading
    Scbwi
    Self Discipline
    Self-discipline
    Self-publishing
    Shakespeare
    Success
    Theater
    The Nursery Rhyme Game
    The Pigeon Catcher
    Too Much
    Writers Critique Groups

    Archives

    May 2022
    March 2021
    September 2020
    August 2020
    March 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    January 2018
    May 2017
    January 2017
    July 2016
    March 2016
    November 2015
    October 2015
    June 2015
    February 2015
    December 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    June 2014
    April 2014
    February 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    August 2012
    May 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012

    RSS Feed

Picture
Marian Scadden, author of stage plays, fiction for young people, and other stuff