Adapting Hamlet for children

Group work Work in groups and adapt Hamlet for children. Select the act or scene(s) you want to present. Keep in mind you are writing for children. Their attention span is short, so keep the play on the shorter side. Although a good play always has a moral or lesson, it should not come across as a lecture. Be subtle in presenting the lesson you are trying to teach to make the experience enjoyable.

What to do? 1.Select the part (which act/scene) you want to work on.act/scene 2.Rewriting the dialog to be performed by children. 3. What format to use?

List the characters of the play and brief explanation on the roles

Follow a standard script for easy reading Start each section with an explanation of the setting and a brief description of the characters in that section. Place the names of the characters speaking each line in all capital letters and in bold print to ensure that the children can follow the script easily Divide your script into scenes or acts depending upon the length.

Stage directions written italicized in brackets Name of character speaking in capital, colon, and the dialog spoken

Example of a production notes Characters Costumes Properties Setting Music

What to consider in theatre for children? Special requirements of children’s play: 1.The script contains the same basic elements- characters, dialogue, plot. For action, however, it is important to “show” than to “tell”. 2.Speeches should be short. Vocabulary is adapted to the level of the players and audience but not oversimplified. 3.In writing adaptation of a classic or well-known story/play, the playwright must make every effort to retain the essential elements of the source material.

Theatre for children 4. Characters must be believable, showing a pattern of consistent behavior. 5. If the playwright has suggested difficult technical problems, he or she must decide whether they can be carried out successfully or whether modification of the effect will damage the play. Some examples of technical problems are: blackouts, characters who fly or disappear or change into birds or animals. 6. A school does not exist to create beautiful works child art: what matters is the growth of the child and his ability to express himself in a variety of media

Theatre for children 7. Whenever possible, have children embody animals or even inanimate objects, such as trees. Doing this encourages children to think creatively and exercise their imaginations. 8. Select settings and costumes that can be crafted inexpensively. Whenever possible, call for costumes that can be made using everyday clothing. These should be items your students are likely to already have. Choose settings that can be created with normal furnishings or made out of cardboard.

9. Integrate humor into your play whenever possible. By making children laugh, you can increase their interest in the play and keep them engaged throughout the performance. 10. Include a moral in your composition. The inclusion of a moral transforms your simple play into a learning experience for young actors as well as viewers. Theatre for children

Today’s target In groups, write the script for a 10 minute production Send the draft to my

references McCaslin, Nellie. (1990). Creative Drama in the Classroom. Fifth edition. New York: Longman. How to Write Scripts for Children's Plays | eHow.com scripts-childrens-plays.html#ixzz1s6d3IO1r

Acts: are major divisions in a play. Short plays are generally written in one act. Longer plays may be divided into two, three, or even five acts, depending on the plot and the need to break it into parts. Scenes: are divisions within acts and are most often used to indicate a different time or place. A play does not have to have any particular number of scenes, the time covered and locations in which the action takes place determine them. Many one-act plays are written in a single scene because they are concerned with a single action or plot.