List of Contributions

Mary Todd Kaercher

Contact Details


My Content

1 to 18 of 18 total

Other sources for Junior besides MTI

Posted By Mary Todd Kaercher 05-03-2019 16:46
Found In Egroup: Open Forum \ view thread
What are some other companies that do Juniors? ------------------------------ Mary Todd Kaercher Mound MN ------------------------------

Hairspray

Posted By Mary Todd Kaercher 05-02-2019 12:19
Found In Egroup: Open Forum \ view thread
We are considering doing Hairspray Jr. We have 2 transgender kidos in our program, and since they are middle schoolers, they don't really talk about it. I am truly worried about casting a boy, who is not a female impersonator/drag queen as Edna. It is traditional, but, a boy playing a girl for a laugh ...

RE: Kissing

Posted By Mary Todd Kaercher 02-14-2019 10:06
Found In Egroup: Open Forum \ view thread
I've got this! Very early in my career we did Guys and Dolls. The 7th grader playing Sky came to me privately and said 'I really don't want my first kiss to be in front of a bunch of people.' So, middle schoolers in my program don't kiss-I very much didn't want to find out if my actors had kissed before. ...

RE: How do you handle distracting kids during rehearsal?

Posted By Mary Todd Kaercher 02-01-2019 09:08
Found In Egroup: Open Forum \ view thread
I've no idea how you get anything done with them all there all the time! I've done this since 1979 and only have all calls a week or two before opening night.   My motto is you aren't middle schoolers, you are actors. I have the kids for 5-8 grade, so the older ones tend to keep the younger ones in ...

RE: LED lights and makeup

Posted By Mary Todd Kaercher 01-31-2019 14:34
Found In Egroup: Open Forum \ view thread
Thank you so much! This is exactly what I was looking for. We have LED costume shop and makeup mirrors that we can program to match our light pallet AND a 20 year old former student and currant college student who attended all the trainings, haunts the pac at night and loves teaching students and teachers ...

RE: Enchanted rose for Beauty and the Beast

Posted By Mary Todd Kaercher 01-31-2019 11:16
Found In Egroup: Open Forum \ view thread
We dressed a girl dressed in green Leo and tights sitting high on a 3' x 3' box stage right. We made a beautiful 'collar' of tulle petals stiffened with wallpaper paste. Her face indicated the progress in the beasts humanizing and we had her go through the script and decide when exactly she would reach ...

RE: Addressing Anxiety

Posted By Mary Todd Kaercher 01-29-2019 09:15
Found In Egroup: Open Forum \ view thread
Improv games will solve all your problems. There are many great books and sites to give you games lists and ideas. I wouldn't have a student pick up a script before improving for at least a couple of class periods. -- Mary Todd Kaercher

LED lights and makeup

Posted By Mary Todd Kaercher 01-28-2019 14:08
Found In Egroup: Open Forum \ view thread
going from the middle school cafetorium with halogen lights I've pieced together for the last 25 years to a brand new state of the art theatre with LED lights. Any helpful hints for costuming and /or makeup!? ------------------------------ Mary Todd Kaercher Mound MN -------------------------- ...

RE: The Wizard of Oz: Production Design Ideas

Posted By Mary Todd Kaercher 01-28-2019 13:50
Found In Egroup: Open Forum \ view thread
We did it in the middle school cafeteria and had just the best time playing with fantasy, including the stuffed Toto being tossed over the flat for the Toto you can back, to Toto turning into a 'person' when they landed in Oz. The most fun was the steampunk costume twist! There happened to be a screen ...

RE: The Wizard of Oz: Production Design Ideas

Posted By Mary Todd Kaercher 01-28-2019 13:49
Found In Library: Open Forum

RE: Pride Rock

Posted By Mary Todd Kaercher 01-28-2019 13:40
Found In Library: Open Forum

RE: Pride Rock

Posted By Mary Todd Kaercher 01-28-2019 13:40
Found In Egroup: Open Forum \ view thread
We have 3' square boxes. We used chicken wire to form a rough rock shape then covered it with school brown paper towels that we had dipped in wallpaper paste. We didn't even have to paint it!  We stuck in beautiful plastic  plants for the Mufasa scenes and ugly dying ones for Scar. It was amazing! ...

RE: Looking for a Vocal Director

Posted By Mary Todd Kaercher 10-13-2018 00:53
Found In Egroup: Open Forum \ view thread
Don’t limit yourself to grad students. I have had great results with undergrads as well. If they have done musical theatre in high school and are music majors they ‘get it’. --------------------------------- Mary Todd Kaercher Mound MN ---------------------------------

RE: Taking Rehearsal Attendance

Posted By Mary Todd Kaercher 08-25-2018 09:35
Found In Egroup: Open Forum \ view thread
I am a retired teacher who still does one show a year. My music director is a former student who is still in college (it's a long story, good for everyone, happy ending) so we don't know the new kids and if our 100 kids, many of the ones in the chorus we know by sight but not by name.  We used plastic ...

RE: Inclusive audition packets

Posted By Mary Todd Kaercher 08-17-2018 12:22
Found In Egroup: Open Forum \ view thread
In 25 years in middle school, I have had 4 students with gender questions. I have a close relationship with the school guidance counselor who gives me sometimes a heads up about a student and is invaluable when seeking advice about handling situations. Middle schoolers are at a tough spot in their ...

Dialect teaching ideas for Mary Poppins Jr.

Posted By Mary Todd Kaercher 08-17-2018 11:50
Found In Egroup: Open Forum \ view thread
I would love some ideas for how to get middle schoolers British accents. Our show auditions in December before their 2 week break and it would be lovely to have some things for them to work on. Thanks! -- Mary Todd Kaercher

RE: "Junior" musicals at a high school? Other options for struggling programs?

Posted By Mary Todd Kaercher 07-27-2018 14:02
Found In Egroup: Open Forum \ view thread
The voice ranges in the Junior versions are for middle schoolers. I’ve directed high school and middle school theatre for 30 years or so. I’ve found middle school kids are far more dependable because they have less in their lives. I have found the only way to get total commitment from a cast is to ...

RE: "Junior" musicals at a high school? Other options for struggling programs?

Posted By Mary Todd Kaercher 07-25-2018 11:18
Found In Egroup: Open Forum \ view thread
I agree. There should be a junior plus version. And MORE. I’ve done middle school theatre for 35 years and have repeated shows. The Mary Poppins Jr we are doing this year is longer, but almost all music. I understand that most middle school musicals are directed by music teachers, but the more suburban ...