Why are auditions required? Auditions are required as a means of assessing the comfort level of your child as a performer and to see their response to this particular social setting. While the audition is not required for participating it is the best way to evaluate their skill set and find the role that will be most fitting for their personality and talent. At the end of auditions, we find out the 3 roles each child is most interested in so we have an idea of what they are looking for. Not everyone will get one of their top 3 choices, but it does allow us to make sure we give them a role that will be a good fit.
How are auditions conducted? Auditions will be conducted the first day. The students do not need to have anything prepared. The director will have select parts of the script that they will use for the auditions, and the students simply need to be prepared to read as part of a group and perhaps on their own as well. The students will have a chance to practice reading through the lines they will be auditioning with and the director will be there to answer any questions and offer assistance. Kids who are just learning to read need not worry! The Director will call out the lines to them and they just have to repeat them aloud. The primary thing the instructor will be looking for when casting is how animated the child is with their bodies, faces and voice during their audition.
Will the kids have a chance to eat a snack before rehearsal begins? Yes, we will take time at the beginning of each class for the kids to have a snack since they are usually hungry right after school. Please try to send snacks that will create minimal crumbs or mess. Also, if your child has any kind of intense food allergy please let the instructor know prior to the first rehearsal.
My child got a small part and is upset. What should I do? Not everyone will have the same size part. KidStage teaches children to do their very best no matter how large or small the role. Even if a role looks small on paper, there are still additional activities to participate in and ways to make that role into something special and unique based on the individual child’s personality. We strongly encourage children to commit to this process and see it out until the final show.
In fact, we have found that the children with the smaller roles shine just as brightly because they are able to focus on their role and really turn on the performance power! So we would suggest that you have a conversation with your child explaining to them that all the roles in the Play are important and that they can really shine in the role they were assigned as a part of the performance team.
What is the best way for my child to learn his/her lines? Practice makes perfect! Students should speak their lines “loud and proud” every evening. You can help by running the dialogue with them; simply give them their cue by speaking the line just before theirs. Once your child knows their lines, continue to read the cue line and have your child recite their parts from memory.
For children that are having difficulty recalling their lines, I recommend writing the lines down repeatedly, this can even be done as a journal exercise. It really helps kids practice projection when they rehearse lines from a distance (ex: you sit at the top of the stairs and they sit at the bottom). It is very important for kids to have someone actively engaging with them while they memorize.
Why is it important for my child to memorize all of their lines? Memorization is a crucial element to ensuring your child is getting the most out of the in-class experience! When a child does not know their lines, it’s hard for them to have fun and learn about acting because they’re constantly focused on reading while trying to rehearse. Gaining and developing self-confidence is one of the most influential elements of KidStage and when a child has worked hard and feels confident about their lines they are able to perform with confidence and are free to let loose and have fun exploring their character!
Are we required to purchase costumes for our children? No. The KidStage philosophy is to keep productions simple and affordable. The class and production are about process and performance. Parents can purchase costumes if desired, but we encourage you to push your child to creatively come up with their costume! Think outside the box. At the end of the day their costume can be as simple or as elaborate as you wish and often times made entirely of items you already have at home. It also can make for a fun parent/child bonding activity on a weekend.
Will there be props for the production? We need families to volunteer to bring/make these items in order to make the show more visually appealing and fun for our young actors! Part way through the session, the director will send out a list of props needed for the production. This is another great example of the collaborative nature of theatre and how everyone working together makes the final project the best it can be!
What can we expect on show night? The majority of our Productions are simple, and it will be what the kids and parents make of it. In order to ensure a better production, it is of utmost importance that the children have memorized their lines and cues. And to do that, it requires the parents to constantly remind and even work with the children at home.
The primary purpose of the show is to help the children build confidence. Therefore it is great to have as many parents/siblings/family/friends at the show as possible to root them on! There is no ticket charge for most of the shows, so the more the merrier! Also, bring a pencil/pen to the show. One of our traditions at KidStage is that we encourage the audience to get autographs from the actors after the show! It’s a blast and a great confidence booster! If you have children that you bring with you to be audience members, please do not allow them to run around the gym or the halls of the school at any time or touch any school property.
What does my child have to gain from this program? Theatre can create a positive opportunity for personal and social growth and development. Those children involved in performing arts are more self-aware, understand the value of collaboration, develop confidence and so much more. Public Speaking has been documented as one of the greatest fear among adults, and our goal is help our students conquer that fear before it can even set in.
By exploring the world of theatre the students develop enhanced imagination, creativity, and language that can be applied to other academic and non-academic experiences throughout their life. Parents have told us that after KidStage, their children exhibited an expanded vocabulary and much more confidence in conversations in groups as well as in a one-on-one setting.