Improv for Kids: Introducing Your Child to the Arts

This week on drama on the waterfront, find out about the benefits of introducing children to theatre from a young age (and then bring them along to Improv for Kids so they can enjoy those benefits!).

Dramatic Play for Children

Children of all ages love to pretend. As toddlers, they mimic things they see in everyday life. In preschool, they recreate familiar roles and events. By elementary school age, they act out stories, creating original plots, adapting fairy tales or children’s books. As children leave early childhood, they enter a new stage of drama that is a more formal type of play-acting—going on stage to present prepared scripts.

For young children, the theatre arts are best thought of as informal endeavors that extend the natural habits of play and learning. In prekindergarten and elementary classes, children learn the basics of structuring their “pretending” for presentation to an audience. More advanced skills—acting, directing, scene and costume design, playwriting, and stage management—come after elementary school.

In addition to creating theatre in its many forms, children benefit from seeing it. Theatre for young audiences, also known as children’s theatre, is dramatic theatre performed by professionals specifically for an audience of children.

As young children take part in drama, they gain many benefits:

• Knowledge of and skill in theater arts.
• Improved literacy skills—reading, writing, and speaking.
• Development of imagination and aesthetic awareness.
• Independent and critical thinking and increased ability to solve problems.
• Social growth and the ability to work with others.
• A healthy release of emotion.
• Fun and recreation.

Educational theatre offers parents benefits as well:

• Time spent with their child in creative moments.
• Insights into the observations, impressions, interests, fears, and humor that their child reveals.
• Opportunities to witness their child’s developmental growth.
• The chance to help their child understand some of life’s dilemmas.

CREDIT: National Endowment for the Arts and http://www.education.com/

IMPROV for KIDS!

For the last school holidays of the year come along to Circa for a show that lets kids get involved in live theatre in a way that only an Improvisor show can. Their suggestions, sound effects, even props and costumes = their show!

Every show is unique – crafted for children who are there, so whether your child is in to fairy pirates or break dancing unicorns; we can make it happen.

This is a show where you can have a giggle alongside your kids, with loads of opportunities to shout out, dance, wriggle and move and be part of the action this is pure, school holiday fun.

AGES: perfect for 4 – 12 years old  / RUNNING TIME: 45 - 55 mins

“Genuine Family Entertainment” - Capital Times

29 Sept – 11 Oct, 11AM
Circa Theatre
BOOKINGS: 04 801 7992 / www.circa.co.nz
TICKETS: $10 (each) / Groups 20+ $8 (each)

HALLOWEENIES! The Improvisors Spring School Holiday Show

What if all the things that go bump in the night are just misunderstood?

To round the year off The Improvisors have a special early Halloween treat. Halloweenies presents the least scary cast of spooky misfits you are ever likely to see on stage. No screams here, just big laughs!

"Doing improvised theatre for kids is magic,” says Spooky Improvisor Ian Harcourtt. ”Our audiences get to see that their ideas are listened to and then included in what happens on stage and that makes the whole experience very different from going to a Hollywood blockbuster or watching a TV show. Kids really respond to the opportunity to tell a bunch of grown-ups what to do!"

We would love our audience to dress up with us – ghosts, Batman, fairies and lions are most welcome!  Come along to Circa 2 September School Holidays to check out the creative and interactive fun – for little and big kids!

30 Sept – 13 Oct, 11am (no show Sunday)
BOOKINGS: www.circa.co.nz or 04 801 7992
All tickets $10 (Groups 20+ $8 each)

The fantastic world of Super Heroes

The "Incredible Improv Man" tells drama on the waterfront what to expect from The Improvisors' latest school holiday show, Kids Comic Heroes!

From: The Incredible Improv Man

Zap!! Ka-pow!! Ka-blooey!! The Improvisors are back at Circa for the July school holidays with more of our special brand of interactive children’s theatre. Over the past few years, we’ve brought you shows centred on pirates, knights and princesses and unexpected twists on traditional fairy stories – now we’re turning our attention to the fantastic world of Super Heroes.

What amazing powers will our hero have? How will our super-villain plot to rule the world? Frankly, we have no idea – but that’s the point. Each show is unique, as we ask our audience to supply those key plot ingredients. Then, using our astonishing powers of leaping over tall improbabilities and flying by the seat of our pants, our super improvisors create a one-off story. Along the way, we keep our audience involved in creating sound effects, giving advice and generally helping to shape the show.

Forget the latest Hollywood blockbuster – introduce your Wonder Girls and Super Boys to the magic of improvised theatre. Imagination is the greatest super-power of them all!

Monday  15 – Friday 19 July and Monday 22 – Friday 26 July – two shows daily at 11:00am and 1:00pm

Saturday 20 and Saturday 27 July – one show only at 11:00am

Show runs for approx. 50 minutes

Warning – show may contain traces of lycra!

The Improvisors' Theatresports for Kids!

Two teams. One match. The judges: YOU!

How often do you watch a sports match, wishing you could decide the outcome? Watch a movie, wishing you could have helped make it, because you had heaps of better ideas? Well, wish no more, because we’re bringing the power to YOU!

Want to see a scene about puppies? We can do that. Prefer a story about a gallant knight and his horse and their adventure to find treasure? You’re the boss! Every time one of our Theatresports teams gets up on stage, they’ll come to you for ideas and suggestions that will determine what kind of stories you see. And it doesn’t stop there - we’ll also come to you afterwards for your judgement and score. You decide the winner... you decide the loser... you decide the whole game! How cool is that? It’s the best of two worlds - theatre and sports - and you are the master of both!

For too long the power of entertainment has rested outside of the audience. For too long have you been subjected to stories that you’ve heard before, that you’ve seen before, that you already know the ending of. No more will you be expected to sit quietly in your seat, a passive spectator. This school holidays, drag your ma and pa along and help the Improvisors create the show that YOU want to see.

THEATRESPORTS FOR KIDS!

22 April – 4 May
11am and 1pm Mon – Fri, 11am only Sat, no show Sun 

The Improvisors have created a theatresports show especially for kids – just like Who’s Line is it Anyway - Theatresports for Kids is a show for 8-12 year olds that brings all the theatresports games of our family favourite Sunday shows to the School Holidays! No previous experience is required to join in the show – just enthusiasm, imagination and a sense of fun. And it’s not compulsory to join the show – our shyer audience members are welcome to watch the stories unfold and laugh! Why should grown-ups have all the fun?

To book, call the Circa Box Office on 801-7992 or visit www.circa.co.nz.

Fairy Godfathers don’t do spells! ... or do they?

Fairy Godmother extraordinaire Peach Blossom (aka Improvisor Jennifer O'Sullivan) takes drama on the waterfront on a tour and tells us all about her wily assistant, the Fairy Godfather Rose Petal. Was he trying to order his own wand? Do Fairy Godfathers do spells? Find out in Fairy Godfather, on now during the School Holidays in Circa Two.

Welcome, welcome my dears! Welcome.
Welcome to the home of famed Fairy Godmother, the very lovely and magical Peach Blossom -aka, me! It is so lovely to welcome you here, to my glittery lair. I do love guests.
You may remember me from such fables as Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty and Pinnochio. I weave my magical way through many such tales, spreading goodwill and enchantment wherever I go with my magical wand. You should have seen the dire straights Cinderella was in before I turned up and gave her the once-over! And poor Sleeping Beauty - the girl could barely get out of bed BEFORE she pricked her finger on that spinning wheel!
Anyhoo. Glad you could join me. Like I said I do love showing people around my home. Just keep an eye out for that adorable man, my personal assistant Rose Petal. He’s a Fairy Godfather - means well, but as we all know, Fairy Godfathers don’t do spells! He’s more of a pleasant person to keep around, than a helpful Harry.
He gets a bit cranky sometimes. Honestly, I suspect he may get a bit bored, what with being an assistant to someone with a magic wand! But really, it’s just so easy for me to wave my wand and get the washing done, or the lawn mowed. He has plenty of time to relax, and it is nice to have someone who can answer the door while I’m out visiting my god children. Though, would you believe it - the other day, I caught him on the phone pretending to be me! He said he was trying to order me a new wand as my current wand was ‘on the fritz’, or so he claimed... My wand has been fine, so I wonder what he was up to? He can’t have been getting his own one, because of course, as we all know, Fairy Godfathers don’t do spells!
Yes yes, that painting on the wall is indeed beautiful. Gifted to me by Pinocchio after he became a real boy and got a real job. Made his father very proud, he did. I think Rose Petal wishes he had the connections I do with the people of the land of fairy tales. But it’s a bit hard for him to be of any use to people, since we all know Fairy Godfathers don’t do spells!
It was very lovely to have you here in my home. Do drop in on me when I am visiting at Circa Theatre during your school holidays. I have some lovely stories to share with you, and I may even need your help to tell them! See you soon...

Fairy Godfather starts today and runs until 13 October in Circa Two, with shows at 11am and 1pm Monday through Friday and 11am Saturday. Tickets are just $10 per person. To book, call the Circa Box Office on 801-7992 or go online www.circa.co.nz.

The 3 Bears ... and Goldilocks: Trouble in Fairyland

Break In Gives Bears Paws For Thought

A recent break in has prompted the Three Bears family to move away from Fairyland.

On Wednesday last week the family returned to their Woods, Fairyland address to find their house in disaray after a home invasion. Although nothing was taken, they discovered their cooling porridge had been eaten and Baby Bear's chair was broken. Further investigation revealed a sleeping human child in Baby Bear's bed upstairs. On awakening, the child screamed and fled through the bedroom window and was last seen running deeper into the the woods in the direction of Old Mother Hubbard's shoe.

Fairyland police sergeant, Abner Twinkletoes, says there appears to be no motivation for the intrusion.

"There appears to be no motivation for the intrusion other than the wanton destruction of a chair and, perhaps, extreme laziness or fatigue," he said.

"I no longer feel safe in my own home," Mother Bear was quoted as saying. "What has Fairyland come to, when a bear can't just take an early morning walk in the woods without their home being violated?"

"Rrrooooaaaaaarrrr rrr argh grrr!!!!" said Father Bear, clearly upset.

The perpetrator of this heinous crime is still at large. She is described as a human girl of about 10-12 years of age, of slight build and with long, blonde hair. It is not known if she is dangerous but police have advised against approaching her. Anyone with information can contact Sergeant Twinkletoes on 0800 CATCH HER or leave details at the Fairyland Police Department.

Find out if Sergeant Twinkletoes catches the perpetrator and how the Bears family copes in the aftermath of their home invasion, when The Improvisors bring you their latest school holiday show The 3 Bears ... and Goldilocks, 2-14 July in Circa Two. To book, call the Circa Box Office on 801-7992 or go online at http://www.circa.co.nz/.

Ugly Stepsisters: The Cinderella story you never knew existed

Ever wonder what really happened at Cinderella's ball? Well, hear all about it from one of Cindy's stepsisters; this week, Canderella Honeybottom takes a moment to tell drama on the waterfront her story, and it is shocking stuff. To see what happened after the ball, bring your kids to Ugly Stepsisters at Circa during the school holiday, 10-21 April.

Ugly Stepsisters Canderella (left) and Griselda Honeybottom.

"So there I was, having the time of my life. Griselda Honeybottom and I were the last two on the prince's dance card and, frankly, she didn’t really stand a chance, what with the wooden leg and the halitosis. My turn was up as soon as the band came back from their break. I thought that I would use the opportunity to powder my nose, as we ladies will often do. I was at the mirror when in she came. You know who I mean. That pompous, arrogant upstart Cinderella. She had no right to be there after mother strictly forbade her from coming for continuously knocking on the three blind mice's door and not talking when they answered. The poor things had no idea who was there. But anyway, in she strolled and nudged my elbow while I was applying my lippy, causing me to draw a great big lipstick line right up my left nostril. She knows full well how hard “Everlast Shimmer” lipstick is to get off. I was stuck in that bathroom for 15 minutes just trying to wash it off. 


In the meantime, little miss high and mighty slipped a sleeping potion into Griselda’s lemonade and Griselda had started to snore incredibly loudly. So loudly, in fact, that the King and Queen had her removed from the ballroom. This meant, of course, that Cinderella had the prince all to herself. Even when I came back from the bathroom, she wouldn’t let him dance with me. I found out later in the evening that she had told the prince that I suffered from a rare condition and that when I danced with someone, all my teeth and hair falls out and he wouldn’t want to be responsible for me being toothless and bald, would he? The little minx! Could you imagine? So I was sidelined for the rest of the evening. Oh, there were others there of course. I danced with the Pied Piper for a while but he is a terrible bore. No wonder people refuse to pay him. The Gingerbread man was very nice but after holding his hand in a waltz for a couple of minutes he became too sticky. And don’t get me started on Georgie Porgie! 


Anyway, after about two hours of watching miss “butter wouldn’t melt in my mouth” she suddenly declared that the ball was over and it was time for everyone to go home. The cheek of it! Who does she think she is? It’s not even her party! And when people tried to intervene and tell her that it really wasn’t her place to tell everyone when to go home she threw a huge tantrum and stormed off. Out on the steps she took her slipper off and threw it at me just because I was trying to reason with her and tell her it was only five to twelve at night. Which really isn’t that late for us adults. Rumour has it the prince will be looking for the owner of the slipper tomorrow and is going to make them apologise publicly. If I were a lesser woman I’d tell the prince who she is and where she lives, but why lower myself to her level?

Love Canderella Honeybottom xx"

This year The Improvisors have created a KIDS season to celebrate the unsung heroes of fairy tales, with a look at the ‘true’ stories behind the other side of beloved fairy tales!

First up in the April school holidays is Cinderella’s Ugly Stepsisters as they carry on after she marries the Prince. With a hilarious all male cast – these Ugly Stepsisters embark on a series of self-improvements to discover beauty is not just skin deep!

As always we welcome and encourage the audience to come dressed up for the occasion – Knights, Princesses, Bears, Fairies, Batman are all welcome to add to the interactive experience.

So come on down to Circa Theatre to participate in the fun, dress up and join the story! 

To book, call the Circa Box Office at 801-7992 or go online at www.circa.co.nz.

Spaced Out: An Intergalactic Interactive Improv Experience for Kids!

By Captain Bevin Spacey

Spaced Out, the latest school holiday show at Circa brought to you by The Improvisors, is nearly ready for lift-off!

Our story will follow the adventures of New Zealand’s first interplanetary astronaut as he/she boldly goes where no Kiwi has flown before. As with our previous children’s shows, there will be plenty of opportunities for kids (and accompanying grown-ups) to be involved in the creation of the show, whether that’s by helping us with the special effects or by telling us what kind of alien life-form our astronaut encounters.

The cast will include regulars Pete Doile and Ian Harcourt, as well as newcomers Christine Brooks and Jonno Power. Once again, Tane Upjohn-Beatson will be providing music and soundscapes and Uther Dean’s lighting will be out of this world.

The shows run over both weeks of the holidays (10-22 October), at 11:00am and 1:00pm Monday to Friday, 11:00am on Saturday and no shows Sunday.

Running for no more than an hour (it’s a bit hard to be exact with an improvised show), Spaced Out is most likely to appeal to kids in the 3-12 age range – although anyone beyond this range is more than welcome. And we’ve found in our previous shows that many grown-ups enjoy themselves very much as well!

Come with us to the end of the universe and back in less than 60 minutes!

Tickets for Spaced Out are now available - and at $10 per person, it's a better deal than the movies! To book, call the Circa Box Office at 801-7992 or go online at www.circa.co.nz.

Gnome sayin'?

Halfway through their second kids’ show ever, The Improvisors are delighting audiences with their tale of Norman the Gnome and his quest to get home. Improvisor Greg Ellis tells DOTW all about Gnome on the Roam and what is was that made The Improvisors break into the world of children's theatre.

DOTW: Tell us a little bit about Gnome on the Roam – what is the general story?

GE: The general story is about a bored garden gnome called Norman who wants to travel. He gets his wish but is stranded in a strange land and needs to find his way home.

DOTW: I understand that The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, at Circa during the last school holiday, was The Improvisors’ first foray into the world of kids shows. What made you guys decide to put on a show for kids?

GE: We’ve gone from being a company of largely foot-loose and fancy free singles, to getting married and having families. We wanted to do shows our own kids could enjoy and understand the silliness of their folks’ profession.

DOTW: What can you tell us about your experience in The Sorcerer’s Apprentice?

GE: It was great fun! We enjoyed doing the shows much more than we imagined. Kids are much more unpredictable than adults and kept us on our toes!

DOTW: What are the differences in putting on an improvised show for children versus doing one for an adult audience? Which is more challenging?

GE: The great thing about improv is that you work with whatever audience is in front of you so there’s not much difference.

Except for the odd bit of self-censoring.

DOTW: What age range does Gnome on the Roam appeal to?

GE: We’re aiming at 3-10 but were surprised last time with how many older kids came and enjoyed it. The thing that we are aiming to do is work on lots of levels so there’s plenty for all ages.

DOTW: As you said, many of The Improvisors have young children of their own. How do your own kids respond to the shows?

GE: We had many of our kids along to rehearsals as test audiences and some of them managed to go to Sorcerer’s four times during the season as well!!!

My little girl George is a particular fan and loves the song from the new show so much we recorded her performing it for a web trailer!

DOTW: Is there anything else that audiences should know about Gnome on the Roam?

GE: The show is great fun for everyone. It’s a given that the kids will enjoy it but we just want the adults out there to realize that there’s plenty for them to enjoy too. Often adults would rather eat their own heads than sit through a kid’s show – this is not one of those!!!

DOTW: Where do you hope Norman ends up on his travels away from the Armbrewster’s garden?

GE: We don’t have any particular hopes –we’re ready to be surprised. Bring it on!

Gnome on the Roam is on at Circa until 17 July. For tickets, call 801-7992 or visit http://www.circa.co.nz/.