Hello Casey, I have a wealth of information and great ideas for you regarding Children's Theatre scripts both to be performed for children or performed by children, including some audience participation scripts. Were you referring to your High School students directing other high school students to perform for an elementary school audience or having you high school students direct elementary students? Would you like the performance to be a musical or play? What size cast are you thinking of? Finally what limitation might you have regarding performance space (proscenium stage or gym floor in the round, set, props, and costumes? All of this information can help when selecting plays to read for selection.There are so many favorites out there, but answering these questions can help you narrow down a workable few that would allow the students who will be directing to choose a play they are excited about directing.
Other questions you might have would concern the best type of play for your audience. Do you want a play that tells a classic story the children will know? What units will the audience by studying, would you like to connect your choice to their unit content?
I love Children's Theatre and my students perform yearly for children. Favorite plays include: Many Moons, The Clown's Play, Wiley and the Hairy Man, Androcles and the Lion, The Great Cross Country Race and The House at Pooh Corner. For musicals, it is best to use the published Theatre for Young Audience versions of the more popular pieces like: James and the Giant Peach, A Year with Frog and Toad, or Seussical, but I also really like some of the new young audience pieces by R&H, especially Rapunzel, Rapunzel, A Very Hairy Fairy Tale. These musicals all have recorded accompaniment tracks and are just the right length for children, but meant to be performed by high school students or adults, so the music is still demanding.
I would be happy to be in touch if you would like to talk more about your project. I love Children's Theatre and performing for children and encouraging high school students to embrace the genre is really important.
Jill Campbell
Gifted Support/Learning Enrichment ARTsmART
State High Thespian Troupe 5029
State College Area High School
State College, PA 16801
jkc11@scasd.org(814) 231-4114