Writing A Child's Voice for Theatre: Plays for Early Childhood

Writing A Child's Voice for Theatre: Plays for Early Childhood is an Interdisciplinary Arts class taught by Natalie Sowell and Ellen Donkin.

Course Description
This course is designed to explore the nuances of writing TYA (theatre for young audiences) plays for children ages 3-6. We will begin by researching early childhood development and dramatic play theories and practices in order to write plays respectful of this underserved and often underestimated audience. Several TYA plays for preschoolers including the work of the Paper Bag Players and Aurand Harris, and several well known adaptations of children's books will be examined. As we explore each of these plays we will be looking at structure, content, and form, as well as use of rhythm, music, puppetry, movement/dance, and audience participation. Next we will adapt children's literature to play script format. Finally we will move into writing original work and crafting corresponding creative drama workshops to add depth to the theatre experience. Observation of and interaction with children at local schools and childcare centers will inform us and serve as inspiration for the creative process. This course satisfies Division I distribution requirements.

Learning Goals

 * Expressive
 * Multi-Cultural
 * Project-based
 * Reading
 * Writing