Renee Kinsler - Stage Manager
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THR 332
Professor Dionne O'Dell, Michigan State University
THR 332 - Theater for Young Audiences, was a class at Michigan State University taught by Dionne O'Dell that was all about the devising, performing, and key ideas behind theater for young audiences. The class involved research into several companies dedicated to TYA productions, and also included the development and performance of a short play for a local elementary school based on a book classes had read.
The book, Simon's Hook by Karen Burnett, focuses on teaching readers how to cope with bullying from their peers. Our performance of the show also included an interactive activity at the end, where student could practice and demonstrate the strategies the play had taught. All of the text, music, lyrics, and props were created by Dionne O'Dell and the students of the class.
Advait Rathi and Kamryn Sarratt create water while Reese Verlinde, as Gramma Rose, gives advice to Simon (Gracie Duffy)
Kamryn Sarratt explains the interactive activity, where students would use the fish puppets to respond to 'insults' on cue cards. Gracie Duffy, Reese Verlinde, and Advait Rathi hold other props for the activity
Advait Rathi and Kamryn Sarratt play basketball while Renee Kinsler holds the prop hoop. Both hoop and ball were larger than life to give the impression that the characters being played were children
Reese Verlinde uses a prop stick to 'fling' gum from an actors hands into Simon's hair. Advait Rathi and Kamryn Sarrat hold a mirror prop made of string in the background