KidStage

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=140 BGCOLOR="#9966CC" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="03b00a20ezthtv.png"> <div> <B>H</B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="City Stage Co. of Boston"><U><B>ome</B></U></A><B>     |     </B><FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#330066" FACE="Arial" ><B>City Stage Co. of Boston</B></FONT></div> <div> <A HREF="id3.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Performing"><U>Performing</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id4.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Educating"><U>Educating</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id6.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Museums"><U>Museums</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id15.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="News!"><U>News!</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id20.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Contact info"><U>Contact info</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id21.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Participating"><U>Participating</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id22.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Calendar"><U>Calendar</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id23.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Teen Stages"><U>Teen Stages</U></A>   |   <B>KidStage</B>   |   <A HREF="id25.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Whats the Big Idea?"><U>What's the Big Idea?</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id26.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Buster Has Asthma"><U>Buster Has Asthma</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id16.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Whos Who Bios"><U>Who's Who & Bios</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id18.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="History"><U>History</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id17.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="FAQ"><U>FAQ</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id19.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="After School With City Stage Co."><U>After School With City Stage Co.</U></A></div> <div> <B>KidStage</B></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=210 BGCOLOR="#CCFF66" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <A HREF="http://www.bostonchildrensmuseum.org/exhibits/kidstage.html" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.bostonchildrensmuseum.org/exh"><U><IMG SRC="56eb0430.jpg" border=0 width="176" height="67" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <div> <B>i</B><B>s </B><B>offering performances daily at</B></div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.bostonkids.org/index2.html" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.bostonkids.org/index2.html"><U><IMG SRC="3eb9e3c0.gif" border=0 width="158" height="60" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" height=340 BGCOLOR="#CCFF66" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B>We Make the Whole City Our Stage</B></div> <bR> <div> On Saturday, April 14 of 2007 we opened the brand new <A HREF="http://www.bostonchildrensmuseum.org/exhibits/kidstage.html" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.bostonchildrensmuseum.org/exh"><U>Carl and Ruth Shapiro Family Foundation KidStage</U></A> and part of the Boston Children's Museum expansion!  This gorgeous, state-of-the-art, 150 seat, proscenium theater uses cutting-edge technology to support accessibility for all audiences.  The theater was funded by <A HREF="http://www.shapirofamilyfdn.org/matriarch/MultiPiecePage.asp_Q_PageID_E_6_A_PageName_E_GrantmakingOverviewCapitalSupp" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.shapirofamilyfdn.org/matriarc"><U>The Carl and Ruth Shapiro Family Foundation</U></A></div> <div>  </div> <div> <B><IMG SRC="5ff00ab0.jpg" border=0 width="256" height="171" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"> <IMG SRC="5fdefad0.jpg" border=0 width="239" height="173" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">  <IMG SRC="5fb03ad0.jpg" border=0 width="259" height="173" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"> <IMG SRC="601f0ae0.jpg" border=0 width="240" height="174" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <bR> <div> <B>KidStage actors, please visit our </B><A HREF="http://interactives.hostway.com/cgi-bin/slither/Driver.py/InterActives/Guestbook/Guestbook.render?guestbook_id=1885" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://interactives.hostway.com/cgi-bin/"><U><B>KidStage Actors' Message Board</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <B>See Also:</B></div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.citystage.org/id26.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.citystage.org/id26.htm"><U><B>Buster Has Asthma</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.citystage.org/id25.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.citystage.org/id25.htm"><U><B>What's the Big Idea?</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <I><B>KidStage</B></I><B> is featured in the an episode of</B></div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.greatmuseums.org/childrenmus.html" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.greatmuseums.org/childrenmus."><U><B><IMG SRC="442a03d0.gif" border=0 width="416" height="61" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> <div> This PBS program features an interview with City Stage Co. Artistic Director Larry Coen.  </div> <bR> <div> <B>In 1995 the Boston Children's Museum asked Susan Gassett and Larry Coen to come up with a plan for a performing arts space for the museum.  The result was KidStage, which opened on October 27, 1995.  City Stage Co. has served as Artistic Directors ever since, creating 15 original productions, which run in repertory.</B></div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="390bb7d0.jpg" border=0 width="187" height="125" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"> <IMG SRC="233597b0.png" border=0 width="89" height="123" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"> <IMG SRC="3a4e47b0.jpg" border=0 width="228" height="123" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> Boston Public School kindergarten students are introduced to live theater with a City Stage Co. production on KidStage at The Boston Children's Museum.  This year's production is <I>Balancing Act,</I> a musical about healthy choices.</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <I><B>“KidStage is a gorgeous little theater.  Specifically designed to teach kids the hows and whys of the theater in a way that is both instructive and really, really hilarious to 2 to 10 year olds.”  </B></I></div> <div> <B>- Alisa Valdes, The Boston Globe</B></div> <div> <IMG SRC="231cab50.png" border=0 width="202" height="181" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"> <IMG SRC="23009b50.png" border=0 width="265" height="181" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> <B>KidStage presented 1,373 performances each year</B></div> <bR> <div> That means 1,373 “we need to keep the aisles clear” introductions.</div> <bR> <div> That's more than 100,000 tickets distributed, then collected</div> <bR> <div> That's about 10,000 audience participants joining the actors on stage each year to play everything from Little Pigs, to the Healthy Foods to the 12 Animals of the Chinese Zodiac.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="236e7bb0.png" border=0 width="231" height="187" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> <B>120,000 people attended shows on</B><I><B> KidStage</B></I><B> each year!</B></div> <bR> <div> That is enough to fill the Wang Center 33 times</div> <bR> <div> That's the same number of people who attend <I>Boston Ballet's   </I></div> <div> <I>  Nutcracker</I></div> <bR> <div> That is twice the annual audience of free Shakespeare on Boston Common.</div> <bR> <div> <B>67 professional actors have worked at </B><I><B>KidStage</B></I><B>!</B></div> <div> <I><B><IMG SRC="20cc68a0.jpg" border=0 width="198" height="138" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></I></div> <div> They have appeared in films such as <I>“Mystic River,” “Next Stop Wonderland,” “Everyone Says I Love You,” “Amistad,” “The Love Letter,”</I> and <I>“Poltergeist III”</I></div> <div> Television appearances by KidStage actors include <I>“E.R,” “Late Late Show With Craig Kilborn,” “Sketch Pad on HBO” “NYPD Blue,” “West Wing”</I> and <I>“Lottery Live!”</I></div> <bR> <div> Stage appearances include American Repertory Theatre, <I>“Shear Madness,” </I>New Jersey Shakespeare Company, ImprovBoston, New York Fringe Festival, Lyric Stage Company and comedy clubs throughout the United States.</div> <bR> <div> <I><B>KidStage </B></I><B>has presented more than 15,000 performances in 11 years.  </B></div> <bR> <div> That is more performances than <I>“Cats”</I> on Broadway</div> <bR> <div> That is more performances than <I>“Shear Madness,”</I> the longest-running play in U.S. History.</div> <bR> <div> That is A LOT OF SHOWS!!!</div> <bR> <div> <I><B>KidStage</B></I><B> Shows have been seen by more than One Million, Two Hundred Thousand People</B></div> <div>  </div> <div> That is almost twice the number of residents of the City of Boston</div> <bR> <div> That is enough to fill the Wang Center more than 300 times</div> <bR> <div> That's more than a Million reasons to celebrate</div> <bR> <div> <I><B>"Shakespeare, eat your heart out. Playwrights Larry Coen and Susan Gassett know how to get kids excited about serendipity and science."</B></I></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>Metro West Daily News</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Productions In the KidStage Repertoire:</B></div> <bR> <div> <I><B>Arthur Builds a Tree House;</B></I> an original story about construction, adapted from Marc Brown's popular Arthur characters</div> <div> 2 actors (at least 1 female)</div> <div> 6 audience participants</div> <div> 20 minutes long</div> <div> Characters who appear in the play (listed in order of appearance) Arthur, Pal, D.W.</div> <bR> <div> <I><B>Arthur for President;</B></I> an original story about voting and elections.  This play has two possible endings, determined by the votes of the audience. Adapted from Marc Brown's popular Arthur characters</div> <div> 3 actors (at least 1 male, at least 1 female, one role may be played by female or male)</div> <div> 8 audience participants</div> <div> 20 minutes long</div> <div> Characters who appear in the play (listed in order of appearance)</div> <div> Arthur, Pal, Mrs. Read, Mr. Ratburn, Francine, The Brain, D.W., Binky, Muffy, Buster</div> <bR> <div> A five-minute excerpt of <I>Arthur for President</I> was performed at the newly rennovated Opera House in Boston, as part of the Hard Hat Concert to benefit StageSource</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>"Although it's shorter than a candidate's acceptance speech, and uses a minimum of costumes and set pieces, ``Arthur for President'' has some delightful surprises. At the end, the audience is asked to vote for either Arthur, the aardvark of the people, or the wealthy, elitist Muffy Crosswire."</B></div> <div> <B>                                                            Terry Byrne, The Boston Herald</B></div> <bR> <div> <I><B>Arthur Writes a Play;</B></I> an original story that introduces kids to theater, adapted from Marc Brown's popular Arthur characters</div> <div> 3 actors (at least 1 male, at least 1 female, one role may be played by female or male)</div> <div> 12 audience participants</div> <div> 30 minutes long</div> <bR> <div> Characters who appear in the play (listed in order of appearance)</div> <div> Arthur, Pal, D.W., Mr. Read, Grandma Thora, Mr. Ratburn, Muffy, The Brain, Francine, Binky, Baby Kate, Mrs. Wood, Perky, Buster</div> <bR> <div> The following books by Marc Brown  were sources for this original script:</div> <div>           <I><B>    </B></I><I> </I><I>Arthur and the True Francine</I></div> <div> <I>               Arthur Writes a Story</I></div> <div> <I>               Arthur's Chicken Pox</I></div> <div> <I>               Arthur's First Sleepover</I></div> <div> <I>               Arthur's New Puppy</I></div> <div> <I>               Arthur's Pet Business</I></div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <I><B>"Only three actors perform for each show, somehow spinning a story that includes 14 characters from the Arthur books and TV series. Young audience members delighted in recognizing the familiar faces on stage: the burping Baby Kate, the bulldog Binky, the prissy Muffy, and the prudish teacher Mr. Ratburn.   ...The show calls upon young audience members to hop up on stage to suit up and act as canaries or boa constrictors, or even as professional wrestlers in glitter capes and headbands. With kids on stage, every show is different, said the actors, who obviously have been exercising their improvisational skills this summer."</B></I> </div> <div> <B>- The Boston Globe</B></div> <bR> <div> All characters and underlying materials (including artwork) copyrighted by Marc Brown. "Arthur," "D.W." and "Baby Kate" are trademarks of Marc Brown. ARTHUR'S WORLD is an exclusive exhibit, stage show and website, plus related programming, produced by The Children's Museum of Boston in collaboration with WGBH-TV and Marc Brown. All rights reserved.</div> <bR> <div> <I><B>A Tall Tale of a Tall Ship;</B></I>  about a woman who disguises herself as a lad and goes to sea during the age of sail  </div> <div> 2 actors (at least 1  female)</div> <div> 11 audience participants</div> <div> 20 minutes long</div> <bR> <div> <I><B>At Home in the World;</B></I> a series of 5 gallery performances about what makes a house a home.  This series includes a Native American myth,</div> <div> a foot-puppet show, a soap & water opera, a bedtime tale and a family get-together rap.</div> <div> 1 actor (male or female)</div> <div> Various audience participants</div> <div> Each piece is 5 to 10 minutes long</div> <bR> <div> <I><B>Blue Plate Special;</B></I> an original musical about food,</div> <div> <IMG SRC="20da9670.jpg" border=0 width="169" height="103" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> 2 actors (male or female)</div> <div> 18 audience participants, plus an unlimited number to dance The Snackerana</div> <div> 35 to 40 minutes long</div> <div> 7 original songs, sung live with the orchestral accompaniment on CD</div> <div> Song Titles:</div> <div>      <I>Get Healthy, Get Smart</I></div> <div> <I>     The Snackerana</I></div> <div> <I>     Here Come the Grains</I></div> <div> <I>     Fruits, Fruits, Fruits and Veggies</I></div> <div> <I>     Moo, Moo, I'm in the Mood For Milk</I></div> <div> <I>     The Protein Rap</I></div> <div>      Fats Oils & Sweets</div> <div> Scene Titles: There are a total of nine short comic scenes about food and food issues.  Three are selected at random during each performance to serve as that day's Blue Plate Special</div> <div>   <I>   Peas Please</I>- about picky eating</div> <div>   <I>   Pig Out</I>- about manners</div> <div>      <I>Breakfast, Help Yourself</I> - about the importance of eating breakfast</div> <div>     <I> Ask the Milkman </I>- about the different kinds of milk (chocolate, skim, etc.)</div> <div>      <I>The Lunchtime Zone</I> - about kids fixating on one food for a while</div> <div>      <I>Every Body</I>- about body image</div> <div>     <I> Recipes for Disaster</I>- about using food as a reward or punishment</div> <div>      <I>The Food Bowl</I>- about family food traditions</div> <div>      <I>Some Words on Play</I>- about ways for families to be active together</div> <div> <I><IMG SRC="06fe7a30.png" border=0 width="231" height="163" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></I></div> <bR> <div> <I><B>Balancing Act,</B></I><I> </I>an original musical about the healthier choices we can make.  Including getting more sleep, more water, more exercise, more healthy foods, more family time, so we can have more fun, energy, strength, power and joy.</div> <div> 2 actors (male or female)</div> <div> 24 audience participants</div> <div> 25 minutes long</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <A HREF="http://www.citystage.org/id26.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.citystage.org/id26.htm"><U><I><B>Buster Has Asthma</B></I></U></A>, a short play featuring Marc Brown's <I>Arthur</I> characters about the importance of managing asthma.</div> <div> 3 actors</div> <div> 22 audience participants</div> <div> 20 minutes long</div> <div> <IMG SRC="533c8a80.jpg" border=0 width="200" height="168" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"> </div> <div> All characters and underlying materials (including artwork) copyrighted by Marc Brown. "Arthur," "D.W." and "Baby Kate" are trademarks of Marc Brown. ARTHUR'S WORLD is an exclusive exhibit, stage show and website, plus related programming, produced by The Children's Museum of Boston in collaboration with WGBH-TV and Marc Brown. All rights reserved.</div> <bR> <div> <I><B>The Count Me In Circus</B></I>; a short play for pre-schoolers about math concepts (sorting, comparing, counting)</div> <div> <IMG SRC="205bb800.jpg" border=0 width="187" height="128" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> 2 actors (male or female)</div> <div> Up to 50 audience participants</div> <div> 15 minutes long</div> <bR> <div> <I><B>Let's Get Moving;</B></I> an original musical about the human body</div> <div> <IMG SRC="20776870.jpg" border=0 width="118" height="135" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> 2 actors (male or female)</div> <div> 16 audience participants</div> <div> 30 minutes long</div> <div> 4 original songs, sung live with the orchestral accompaniment on CD</div> <div> Song Titles:</div> <div>      <I>Get Healthy, Get Smart</I></div> <div> <I>     The Beat, the Breath and the Boogie</I></div> <div> <I>     Let's Get Moving</I></div> <div> <I>     The Sleep Song</I></div> <bR> <div> <I><B>The Plate of Cookies;</B></I> an original farce about temptation</div> <div> 2 actors (male or female)</div> <div> 12 audience participants: playing the Dogs from Next Door, The Friend & Neighbor, The Dancers</div> <div> 15 minutes long</div> <bR> <div> <I><B>Take Me Along;</B></I> an introduction to live theater (audience behavior, sets, lights, costumes, actors)</div> <div> 2 actors (male or female)</div> <div> 18 audience participants</div> <div> 30 minutes long</div> <bR> <div> <I><B>The Tale of the Three Little Pigs;</B></I> A comic take on the traditional tale, told fractured fairytales style</div> <div> <IMG SRC="06ccc8c0.png" border=0 width="204" height="140" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> 2 actors (male or female)</div> <div> 7 audience participants: playing the 3 pigs, the Big-Bad Wolf, the Pig Houses</div> <div> 15 minutes long</div> <div> What's in a Game?; a game-show about learning styles, based on Howard Gardner's theory of Seven Intelligences</div> <div> 1 actor (male or female)</div> <div> About 30 audience participants</div> <div> 30 minutes long</div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="http://www.citystage.org/id25.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.citystage.org/id25.htm"><U><I><B>What's the Big Idea?</B></I></U></A><I><B> </B></I>an energetic, funny new play about Boston's history and tradition of innovation, invention and cutting edge ideas.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="2087d6d0.jpg" border=0 width="125" height="109" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"> <IMG SRC="536a16c0.jpg" border=0 width="161" height="108" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> 2 actors (male or female)</div> <div> 24 audience participants: playing Massachusetts' Innovators and the Rowdy Boys, for whom basketball was invented, as well as demonstrating how inoculation works.</div> <div> 30 minutes long</div> <bR> <div> <I><B>Why Rat Came First;</B></I> a play about Chinese New Year,</div> <div> 2 actors (male or female)</div> <div> 12 audience participants: playing the 12 animals of the Chinese Zodiac</div> <div> 15 minutes long</div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>