"Drive-Home Moments" and a Farewell (for now)

We have decided to close down this old Blogspot-hosted blog. As you can see, it has been very quite around these parts of late. So, instead of trying to restart this blog, we’re going to take a step back and launch a new blog hosted on our website this summer.

Until then, check out our Facebook page or follow us on Twitter. But, for now, one last blog post to tide you over until the summer.

If you have ever listened to an NPR station during pledge week, you have probably heard them talk about “driveway moments.” You have NPR on in the car, and get so wrapped up in a story that when you get home you sit in the driveway to listen until the end. I’ve had a driveway moment or two myself.

But, at SCT, we like to talk about the “drive-home moments,” because we hear stories from our patrons year after year about the great conversations they have with their children on the way home from seeing a play at SCT. There is just something about live theatre in general, and the plays that SCT chooses to produce in particular, that inspires conversations between parents and kids that go way beyond the usual, “fine.”

This isn’t a concept we made up (though we did name it). We are fortunate enough to talk with our patrons on a regular basis, and this is what they have told us:

This show is as much for the parents as it is for the kids. We discussed the show in depth all the way home!

As always, it stimulated much conversation amongst the four of us with each of us.

This was a great example to our kids that anything can happen in "live" theater! Made for a great conversation piece.

My kids are still talking about the play and processing things that were important to them in it.

There were so many good messages in this play, and it initiated good conversation on the way home about the different messages it presented.

One of the things that we provide to families (other than enriching entertainment, a child-centered and safe zone, professional actors and production design) is the opportunity to have great conversations and a shared experience on which to build stronger relationships. We give families a drive home where there kids will answer their questions with more than “fine” and will have more to say that “I liked it.”

And I can’t imagine a better gift from us to you.

See you in the summer at our new blog home!

A Teacher Talks About "Perô"

It has been far, far too long since we posted to this blog (we blame the holiday season and multiple show openings). But, thankfully, we received a letter from a teacher this weekend we had to share (with her permission, of course), which brought us back here once again. We promise, our absence will not be so lengthy again.

Dear SCT Staff,

I would like to express my great appreciation of your production of Perô. I took my 1st-3rd grade class to see it this past Thursday morning, and we were all absolutely thrilled with the experience.

The actors were clearly enjoying themselves, and put forth a beautiful and moving performance. There were quite a number of positive themes in the play which provided great lead-ins to teaching moments. One of the children brought up her surprise at seeing a divorce in a children's play (while not explicit, that a divorce had occurred was appropriately assumed by her.) I pointed out that while we don't mean to teach that divorce is necessarily good, we wouldn't want them to stay with someone who was really mean to them - look at how Paletino even threw a napkin at Columbina. Another child chimed in with my favorite comment - [it's teaching us] "we should think before we act." "Yes," I said, "especially when getting married."

Jennifer Sue Johnson and Matt Wolfe in Perô. Photo by Chris Bennion.

On your website it says that the set is not flashy. I think this comment does a disservice to your production - the set was incredible. In our present world of colorful chaos, it showed the power of pure black, grey and white. The set and costumes were elegant, intricate, cunningly constructed and beautiful. In reaching to the ceiling and behind the back curtain it enveloped the audience in experience. It's true that it acheived this without "flashy" sets, but I found that a strength. Perhaps you could say something like "the quiet elegance of the set of Perô highlights the beauty of its puppetry and focuses attention on the emotions of the characters in its approachable story"

Each year our school rents a theater for an evening so that our children can perform their own play on a real stage. We are a small school without the time or budget to construct a "flashy" or enormous set. Additionally, I feel that the focus of a children's drama production should be on the strength of the children's efforts, which can be easily upstaged by flashy sets. The set of Perô was amazing, yet comprehensible in its construction. A fitting inspiration for our own productions.

Lastly, thank you for the question and answer session at the end. Our children love that. Even more than the questions, they (and we) appreciate the opportunity for them to see the actors "out of character." It gives them a chance to observe how much the actors change their voice and mannerisms to create the character they play.

Thank you for a beautiful, memorable, and highly "teachable" performance.

Sincerely,
Clary Lucero
Elementary Teacher, 1st - 3rd Grade

We may blush. Come and see "Perô" while you still can - the show closes on February 14. Tickets and info at www.sct.org.

SCT Review Crew takes on "Peter Pan"

Another excellent review of "Peter Pan," this one from Meg D. and family of the SCT Review Crew.

The Holidays are upon us and what better a gift than a night at The Seattle Children's Theatre! This classic story is brought to life with an amazing and talented cast.

Linda Hartzell celebrates her 25th year as Artistic Director of Seattle Children's Theatre. She is truly the best gift ever to the Seattle Children's Theatre and her direction of this show is one of her best yet!

Newcomer Eric Ankrim is wonderful as Peter Pan. His energy is contagious and he carries the show like a pro. David Pichette as Captain Hook is deliciously evil and very funny. I think the adults had an even better time as Hook quotes Shakespeare and demands his gang to play various tunes of music for him. The Pirates were my favorite characters. Auston James as Smee is perfect, funny and always fun to see on stage. The gang of pirates don't let the audience down a moment with their songs and fight scenes.

David Pichette as Capt. Hook with his gang of pirates (clockwise from left) Auston James, Hugh Hastings,
Maggie Stenson, Dane Stokinger, Peter Crook and Geoffrey Alm. Photo by Chris Bennion.

My two boys though LOVED Nana played by Jadd Davis and the Crocodile played by Eric Brotherson. The animal costumes designed by Scott R. Gray make these two fine actors able to crawl, slither and climb easily about the stage.

The set is breathtaking and cheers go to Carey Wong for all the details done in the hildren's nursery. Music Direction by Mark Rabe is wonderful and you can even catch two of the pirates as back-up drummers in the Ugg-a-Wugg song.

The age recommendation for this show is 6+/Grades 1+.. We had little ones all around us and I was a bit concerned at the start, but the wonderful Cry/Family Room is available in case a quick exit is needed!

Get your tickets now and treat your family to a one of a kind live theatre experience!

Activity: Have You Another Voice?

Photo by Chris Bennion.

In Peter Pan, Peter likes to fool Captain Hook by disguising his voice. This activity from our Drama School's curriculum invites participants to explore using different voices, starting with a vocal warm-up.

Have you another voice?

Have players sit in a circle. Discuss ways that they could change their voice so that no one would know it was them. Some examples include using an accent, or speaking with a deep, high, or raspy voice.

As a group, practice saying the line from Peter Pan, “Have you another voice?” using different voices.

Once players are comfortable with using their voices in a variety of ways, choose one player to be Captain Hook. Captain Hook will close his or her eyes.

Choose one student to be Peter Pan and disguise his voice saying the sentence: “Have you another voice?"

All players should put on their most innocent looking faces – like it could have been any of them.

Have all players say to Captain Hook: “Open your eyes!” Captain Hook uses his power of observation and power of listening to determine who said the line “Have you another voice?” Captain Hook has three tries to figure out who played Peter Pan.

"Twilight" Fans - Win tickets to "Peter Pan"!

Every once in a while, a production company will contact us about using SCT posters in a movie or television show. Fans of Grey's Anatomy may have noticed that SCT posters are all over the walls of Seattle Grace, for example.

It so happens that we got one such call last spring from the production company working on the new movie in the Twilight saga, New Moon, and SCT is actually represented in the film. There is a poster on the wall in Bella's room, visible several times, from a Seattle Children's Theatre production.

If you see the poster or think you know what it is, mail the name of the play to info@sct.org by 5pm Monday, November 23rd, and you'll be entered into a drawing for two ticket's to SCT's musical Peter Pan!

One entry per email address. Winner will be selected randomly from among all correct entries.

SCT's Staff Contest: Mash-Up the Croc!

A few months back, while in a mild fever delirium, SCT Head of Crafts Scott R. Gray had a great idea - what if we took some pictures of the incredible Crocodile costume he was working on for Peter Pan, and mashed-up the Croc's head with different photos, like some kind of contest. He emailed off the idea and slipped back into semi-coma.

Then, a donor gave us a couple of airline vouchers that had to be used by the end of the year, and Scott's contest idea floated up and reared its Croccy head. And, so SCT staff and artists were given one week to mash-up one of two pics of Croc with the image of their choice.

The winner was selected through a rigorous evaluation process by our judges, the kids from C.A.S.T (or Creative Arts for Young Thespians). And the winner is...



Submitted by Individual Giving Manager Brooke O'Neal (who, it happens, doesn't fly and is terrified of flying, but who promised, if she won, to fly).

The rest of the very fine contest entries:

Every Mouse is different! or, What Mom said.

This counts as the inside scoop, because the only way anyone in the audience would ever know this to be the case is if they watched this show over and over and very closely.

You see, every time we perform If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, it's a little different.

Take a look at the scene below, in which MJ Sieber, playing Boy, is imitating his mother right after she's done her nails. It's one of the funnier moments of the play, and it is never the same twice, because MJ has been given the green light to ad lib the line.

Photo by Chris Bennion.

So, every day, when we get the show reports, there's a little box that says "What Mom said today..."

Some of our favorites so far:

Wha, Wha, Wha…(Charlie brown’steacher)

I can’t go outside until my nails are dry because I might get bugs on them.

I’m making smoothies for everyone.

Don’t forget to eat your brussel sprouts.

Did I ever tell you about my four episode arc on Falcon Crest?

It’s french toast day. Everyone want french toast?

Now be quiet. It’s time for me to watch my stories.

I wrote your name in all your underwear in case you lose it.

But, this has got to be our top, top favorite:

Did anyone see Antiques Road Show last night?? I’ve got a neti pot…

Come and see the show, and then stop back here tell us what Mom said!

SCT Review Crew: If You Give a Mouse a Cookie

If You Give A Mouse A Cookie
by SCT Review Crew members Meg D. (mom), Seth D. (age 10), and Dale D. (age 8)

Seattle Children's Theatre has done it again with the amazing adaptation by Jody Davidson of the beloved story If You Give A Mouse A Cookie! My two sons and I have never laughed so hard and were talking about it for hours afterwards.

Take two amazingly gifted performers; MJ Sieber as the boy, who's animated narration of the story and comedic timing are perfect. MJ is so believable as the boy you forget that he is an adult and you truly believe the predicament he is in. And Don Darryl Rivera, as the mouse, who by far is the funniest, set-climbing, mess-making mouse ever to grace the stage. My younger son loves his work, and thought this was by far his best role yet at SCT.

MJ Sieber and Don Darryl Rivera. Photo by Chris Bennion.

Director Rita Giomi staged this non-stop adventure, with classic bits of comedy and great moments where you laughed so hard you didn't think it could be any funnier. But it does, and by the end of the show you have lived the story that I know many parents have read to their kids at least a hundred times.

Take a great set designed by Jennifer Zeyl that is larger than life and filled with all sorts of fun objects for the mouse to get tangled up in. The larger than life bag of chips, cotton balls, cookies and hose from the kitchen sink are fantastic additions. Sound Cues provided by Chris R. Walker added just the perfect touch to certain scenes in the play. My older son loved the 'yodeling' sound bit when the mouse takes upon himself to climb up the refrigerator to hang his picture. Heidi Ganser's fun costumes fit the characters to a T.

This play is just what my family needed to see. A chance to escape our busy lives and to spend an evening laughing and enjoying the audience members experience around us. I hope that every parent, teacher or Seattle Children's Theatre Patron will go see this little show that is as delicious as a cookie and glass of milk will ever be!

Bring us your bored, your squirmy, your young masses yearning to be engaged...

From this weekend's Rant & Rave in the Seattle Times:

Rant - For the mother who brought her three children under the ages of 7 to "Wicked." As two mothers who sat in front of you who rarely get out to enjoy a show, we, and especially your children, were tortured by your selfishness. The kids kicked the backs of our chairs; the youngest, only 3 or 4, complained during the whole show; and the other children kept asking, "Where's Dorothy?" "Where are the little people?" and "When is this going to end?" To all parents: Some shows are NOT meant for children, and if you take them anyway, please choose a matinee. Better yet, take them to the Children's Theatre.

We couldn't agree more - bring them to us, and we'll keep not only your children, but also you, entertained and engaged.

And should your child (or possible you) get too fussy, we have a quiet room in the back of each theatre with a great view of the stage and sound piped in.

Really, what could be more perfect?

SCT Review Crew: Mysterious Gifts

Another great review of "Mysterious Gifts: Theatre of Iran", this time from the newest members of the SCT Review Crew, Anita S. and Akaash S.

The show begins with the entrance of the Director, Performer- the audience does not realize yet that they are in for an unique experience. He starts off quite casually into numerous song and dance from all regions of Iran. One can tell that the audience is captivated by the short “mini-dances” which are performed. But wait, the entire tone of the performance shifts in one fell swoop.

Photo by Chris Bennion

He is now in a dark room of some sort and appears to be tortured by something or someone- and hence begins a wonderful display of physicality and puppetry. Is this a battle with one self? Is this a bad dream? Is this a philosophical struggle between good and evil? What is the meaning of this particular “story”? This is the wonder of what we, the audience, are experiencing: a story being told by movement, expression, and pure physical presence. Not to mention the mysterious music in the background. The point being; not one word has been spoken.

Photo by Chris Bennion

After intermission, the stage comes alive in a potter’s environment. Or is it the laboratory of a mad scientist? This story is simply mesmerizing, mysterious, spiritual and curious. One is left wanting more- no wait, it cannot be over…


If you'd like to become part of the SCT Review Crew and share your reviews of SCT productions, contact Marketing & PR Manager Jim Jewell at jimj@sct.org.

Guest Reviewer: Mysterious Gifts: Theatre of Iran

From time to time, we invite members of our community to see a show and tell us, and you, what they think. Our first guest reviewer is Sarah Pedro, who was sent to us by a local Artistic Director. Sarah saw a performance this weekend, and here is what she had to say.

Finding words to describe the marvel of Mysterious Gifts seems impossible and obsolete in the same way Yaser Khaseb has proven the same of describing the true beauty of life and the connections between all humanity. Khaseb strips away the identities of language that separate us from each other, and brings our similarities into full, undeniable view. Using movement, color, music and expression, Yaser and his cast portray the constant toil and philosophical questions every human battles with, regardless of culture or beliefs.

Hamid Etemedi Todeshki and Yaser Khaseb. Photo by Chris Bennion.

Painting a timeline of the human mind's spiritual struggle, we are first born a compacted being, that must use its entire mind, spirit, and energy to simply survive, and learn to be. The task to unfold, to stand, to walk, to see, soon transform to the quest to understand, to create, to transcend. The character in the battle with the self transcends the barriers between the physical and philosophical, and transforms them into one. We see our mental and spiritual conflicts physically manifest on stage through body language and movement, and this embodies the philosophical struggle better than words ever have. The constant battle between fear and failure, and determination and success that every human experiences over and over again in the wonderment of how and why to live.

Yaser Khaseb in "Mysterious Gift." Photo by Chris Bennion.

Immediately after the stage went black, I had an overwhelming need to see it all over again. I had never before felt so understood, and understanding at the same time.

The most amazing part of this understanding was that I did not know this person, I did not grow up as he had, and I did not even speak his language, yet we understood each other. It is truly an experience that has changed me for the better, and forever.

Wow - thank you, Sarah. If you are interested in sharing your thoughts about SCT productions, you can join the SCT Review Crew. Just drop a line to Marketing & PR Manager Jim Jewell for more information.

Oh, the titles we have heard

Every year, the Ticket Office shares some of their favorite mangled season titles they hear from patrons.

Some are pretty natural, especially given our location. So, The Brementown Musicians becomes quite naturally The Bremerton Musicians (which actually might make an interesting regional piece).

In the Northern Lands: Nordic Myths slides easily to Northern Lights and Getting Near to Baby produces Getting Ready for Baby (a stage in life most our patrons are familiar with).

But, by far the best yet have been for If You Give a Mouse a Cookie. They include:
Mouse as a Cookie
The Moose... something
The Mouse and the Cookie
Mouse Cookie

And our hands-down, overall, all-time favorite: If You Take a Party Cat to School

Priceless, folks - keep 'em coming!

Take a tour of SCT!

A few days ago, a (potential) new patron called our Ticket Office to inquire about tickets. She then asked if she could schedule a tour to see the theatre before her show to make sure we weren’t “some flea-bag outfit.”

Photo by Sternstein Photography.

I’m sure she meant no harm, and it gave the Ticket Office staff a good laugh. Because, in fact, we are very lucky to work in this beautiful building.

And, as it happens, the answer to her question about tours was – yes! We do in fact offer guided tours of the building, taking guests through our two theatres, technical pavilion and administrative offices. We accept groups anywhere from a single person to 40 at a time.

Tours have to be worked around our production schedule. After all, we don’t want folks walking through our dressing room area while actors are doing quick changes. But, other than that, we’re flexible and will do what we can to fit accommodate you.

We have one scheduled tour you can join as well. On Saturday October 17th, as part of Theatre Puget Sound’s Live Theatre Week Family Day, we’ll be offering one huge guided tour. We’ll be meeting in the SCT lobby starting at noon, and the tour will go from 12:15 to 1:00. We’ll be able to see the set for If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, and maybe even some set construction for Peter Pan, in addition to the usual tour stops.

If you’d like to RSVP for the Family Day tour, or to schedule a tour for your group, contact SCT Marketing & PR Manager Jim Jewell.

"Peter Pan" Set Model by Carey Wong

One of the many privileges of life at SCT is having the opportunity to work with artists like scenic designer Carey Wong. Not only is he an incredibly talented designer, but he's also a genuinely kind human being.

Carey designed the sets for SCT's upcoming production of Peter Pan, and once again they are both beautiful and functionally elegant.










Additional reading: International Examiner profile of Carey when he was designing The Neverending Story at SCT.

Maddow's passionate plea for arts education

From SCT's Literary Manager, by way of a colleague from the Kennedy Center, by way of the Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival, some really great quotes from AirAmerica and MSNBC's Rachel Maddow on arts and education:

Sometimes we choose to serve our country in uniform, in war, Sometimes in elected office. And those are the ways of serving our country that I think we are trained to easily call heroic. It's also a service to your country, I think, to teach poetry in the prisons, to be an incredibly dedicated student of dance, to fight for funding music and arts education in the schools.

A country without an expectation of minimal artistic literacy, without a basic structure by which the artists among us can be awakened and given the choice of following their talents and a way to get to be great at what they do, is a country that is not actually as a great as it could be. And a country without the capacity to nurture artistic greatness is not being a great country. It is a service to our country, and sometimes it is heroic service to our country, to fight for the United States of America to have the capacity to nurture artistic greatness.

Not just in wartime but especially in wartime, and not just in hard economic times but especially in hard economic times, the arts get dismissed as 'sissy.' Dance gets dismissed as craft, creativity gets dismissed as inessential, to the detriment of our country. And so when we fight for dance, when we buy art that's made by living American artists, when we say that even when you cut education to the bone, you do not cut arts and music education, because arts and music education IS bone, it is structural, it is essential; you are, in [Jacob's Pillow founder] Ted Shawn's words, you are preserving the way of life that we are supposedly fighting for and it's worth being proud of.

Last Chance!

Join us for a fantastic conclusion to SCT's Summer Season 2009! This weekend we have our final Summer Season production, featuring students performing in Once On This Island, Jr. and Romeo and Juliet.

Good luck to all of our hard working cast!

Productions will take place Charlotte Martin Theatre @ 7pm, August 6-8.

Teentix Review of RENT: School Edition

The reviews for SCT Drama School's production of RENT: School Edition keep rolling in!

Check out the TeenTix's review here!

Review of RENT: School Edition

This weekend, SCT's Drama School presented the musical "RENT: School Edition", and they rocked the house. Maybe you saw them last week on KING 5 Morning News or Evening Magazine, or maybe you even made it in to see the show, but for the rest of you, SCT Teen Reviewer Kathryn L. tells you what you missed:

It was a hot summer day, and I was dying in the heat. We had just come back from a trip in the South were it was just about as hot, they only difference there was air conditioning. We had been eating out and going to movies just for the privilege of spending maybe an hour to two hours in a blessed building that had air con. Then, my mom shows me the email; I get to review RENT: School Edition at Seattle Childrens Theatre. More air conditioning! I was estatic.

However, when I got there, and saw quite a few people from my school's drama program had come to watch, it became clear to me that this wasn’t just an air conditioning paradise, this was an air conditioning paradise with entertainment! And despite the young age of the actors, the play definitely had a professional feel.

About the acting, Zane Cimino made a very effective drag queen who probably was the favorite character of the audience considering how loud they clapped each time Angel came on. Jon Llarenas? His solo at the memorial most definitely brought tears to the audience’s eyes. Matt Lang did a good job at being the voice from the outside in as well as Mark, and Camden Morris as Roger along with Kelsey Schergen as Mimi made a very sweet picture and a lot of extra dynamic. Maddie Polyak (Joanne) and Natalee Merrill-Boyet (Maureen) did a good job at playing a falling-apart couple who still are trying to make it work (on one part at least). Then, Frazier Willman did an amazing portrayal of a man outcast from his friends because he became uppity. As for the rest of the cast, they were just as suburb and amazing as the eight lead roles, especially the Season of Love soloists - great job. I loved the Christmas Bells Are Ringing song, and the answering machine bits.

All in all, exquisite acting and phenomenal singing made The Seattle Children’s Theatre version of the Broadway Musical turned movie, RENT all the more enjoyable.

RENT: School Edition showing tonight!

Everyone around here is getting excited for a SCT Summer Season student production of RENT: School Edition showing this weekend here at the Charlotte Martin Theatre. And we're not the only ones looking forward to the show--we've had some great film segments on King 5 morning news and Evening Magazine, which we'll post online as soon as we can.

To all of our outstanding cast--good luck!





RENT: School Edition is playing Friday-Sunday @ 7, plus a matinee at 2pm on Saturday--be there! It's going to be a great show.

Arts Education

Today Michelle Obama put in a good word about the importance of arts for America’s youth. Her words?

"An educational foundation is only part of the equation," the first lady said. "In order for creativity to flourish and imagination to take hold, we also need to expose our children to the arts from a very young age." (San Francisco Chronicle - check out the full article here!)

She thinks that a good education goes hand-in-hand with a solid exposure to things like dramatic arts, which nurture creativity and imagination. Then again, there are those who criticize our educational system for focusing too much on the arts already, observing the recent accomplishments of countries like China or India, where engineering and hard sciences hold greater value. What do you think?