I am directing kids ages 6-12 in a community production. I need some way to assess thier talents so I can cast the ‘main roles’ as well as the smaller speaking parts according to ability, I need to do this without a traditional “audition” process so as not to intimidate them or make them feel as if they are competing (many of them cannot read).
I’ve never really worked with kids this young before so I was wondering if anyone with experience could suggest any games or activities that would be fun for the kids and also serve my purposes.
Yeah, the important thing is to make sure the kids have fun and all get to feel included. I’ve done community theatre for little kids (10-12), and there’s nothing worse than having some poor kid sitting at the back of the room sulking because he got to be a “tree”.
When choosing your play, consider something other than a traditional drama. Musicals, dance, etc. offer lots of chorus roles and so forth, giving everyone a chance to shine. After all, no-one is expecting you to produce Shakespeare; you might want to think about something a little more abstracted- not performance art, exactly, but doing things like having the “chorus” form the landscape with mime, act as joint narrators (either one after the other or all together), that sort of thing.
As a joint exercise and audition thing, I would do some workshops before you do casting- first get them all participating in warm-up exercises; walking around in a circle, for example, then saying “OK, everyone be a really old person, hunched over; everyone be a dog; etc.”, then split them up into groups of 4-5 and have them do some group improvisations (“I want you to pretend you’re in a classroom/doctor’s office etc.”). It should quickly become clear who the most self-confident and talented kids are.
I’m new at directing children myself and we are in our first production. I’m currently doing workshops for The Boys and Girls Club.
It was a bit of trial and error, but we are now at a place where we have found our balance.
The kids are 8 to 12 and some things I have learned that I hope help you:
Fun! High Energy and Fun! Warm up with some silly games and let them run wild before you reel them back in.
We are currently doing a campy play called “Super Hero Support Group” so each character is well defined. Remind them that it’s play time! I get them in the mind set that they are in their backyard playing heroes. The girls scoffed at this at first, but then after seeing the fun being had they jumped in. This can work in dramas I think, as they get to “play the part”.
Now the tricky part of directing: remember that they are kids, but don’t treat them like kids. Its a balance. They can take stage direction well, but it is good to explain it in a way they can relate to. Urgency: There’s an earthquake and you can’t leave the house until you said your lines! (silly example, I need more coffee)
Anyway, make it fun, now they have a challenge. A game to play.
These kids have never been exposed to the theater before, so I had to take it slow. In your case, doing community theater, the kids will probably be a little more experienced, but either way, just remember that a lot of patience and high energy will get you through.
Hope this helps. I know the two plays are different, but some of the ideas should work. Good Luck!
