We did a five-minute rendition of Menaechmi, with eight kids aged 6 to 12. It was our second Plautus; one of the first Play in a Day projects was The Haunted House. Above is a four-second outtake where co-narrator Rosie has forgotten that she’s supposed to be talking in gibberish.
The complete five-minute production is at http://scribblers.us/nhtj/?page_id=1500 with all the other Play in a Day videos, and more details on the program.
We still abide by the same principles and priorities: A loose, fun, chaotic creative environment. Figuring out what can get done with minimal time and considerable effort, rather than allowing for rote memorization and rigid discipline.
These kids are great improvisers. Most of them never play a scene the same way twice, yet they know which key words to punch to get the plot across.
The next Play in a Day is 2 to 5:15 p.m. Tuesday, April 17, 2012, at Neverending Books, 810 State St., New Haven. The fee for the three-hour session is $5 per child.
Contact Christopher Arnott at chris@scribblers.us for more details.