http://hdl.handle.net/2451/75069 Sat, 11 Apr 2026 04:27:41 GMT 2026-04-11T04:27:41Z http://hdl.handle.net/2451/75345 Title: From Les Mis to Annie, Jr.: A discussion of dramaturgical adaptation for musical theatre in education and accessibility of musical theatre to youth Authors: Mayes, Sean Abstract: As an arts educator, it is inspiring to have access to the spoils of the art of musical theatre to engage and captivate young minds and artistic hearts. In providing an artistic output, one affords both the satisfaction of involvement in a collaborative art coupled with the lasting gift of community and artistic inspiration. Regrettably, the endeavour towards providing an accessible dramatic medium can prove challenging for the best of theatre & music pedagogues and artists alike. Musical theatre becomes increasingly more difficult as both musical and dramatic requirements needed for its execution modify. With these constraints, youth face obstacles in exploring many works of the genre they love faithfully. As educators, the responsibility in maintaining accessibility is tremendous. Improper attention to the usage of the vocal instrument without regard of these developments can cause irreparable damage. Limited access to works for youth and negligible adaptation risk staleness and disinterest. How might the educating artist continually provide an accessible medium of musical theatre to the young performer? From a dramatic & musical lens, this paper discusses the responsibility of the educator in identifying and addressing the unique challenges confronting young performers via the art of musical theatre. Mon, 01 May 2017 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/2451/75345 2017-05-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/2451/75344 Title: Participatory aesthetics: Youth performance as encounter Authors: Baer, Pamela Abstract: In this paper the notion of a participatory aesthetic is developed by exploring how a collaborative and creative process provides opportunities for young people to engage in an act of becoming in relation to one another, building powerful and affective art work that is not bound by the conventions of traditional forms of theatre and art making. The paper begins with a discussion on the role of affect and participation in applied theatre, offering a theoretical framework that is used to analyze two case studies. The first is a project in Accra, Ghana that resulted in a youth-led documentary film about HIV/AIDS and gender relationships. The second is a YouTube based applied theatre project with LGBTQ youth in Toronto, Canada. In both case studies the paper demonstrates the power of dialogue in building a participant driven aesthetic rendering of theatre for social change. The paper concludes stating that a participatory aesthetic is a deeply visceral and vulnerable encounter that builds important pedagogy through affective artistic engagement. Mon, 01 May 2017 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/2451/75344 2017-05-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/2451/75343 Title: Feeling Blue: An investigative apparatus Authors: Hammoor, Clare Abstract: This auto-ethnographic inquiry explores found and constructed apparatuses in the production of a devised clown show with 3rd-6th grade children at Blue School in New York City. Through a playful negotiation between artifacts, theory, and memory, this essay works to untangle the production of meaning and the possibilities of children’s theatre. Drawing from Agamben’s theorizations of apparatus, Hammoor writes into knowing and understanding the frameworks he built and discovered in directing a sad clown show with children. Mon, 01 May 2017 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/2451/75343 2017-05-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/2451/75342 Title: Children’s theatre: A brief pedagogical approach Authors: Eluyefa, Dennis Abstract: There are several theories as to what constitutes children’s theatre. This diversity exists because the term is used as a literal description of theatre that involves children in one way or the other – theatre for children, theatre with children, and theatre by children. This complexity means there is a need to specify the sense in which the term is being used. There is no universal agreement within academic discourse on the parameters in which the term should be defined. While some scholars suggest age as a defining factor, others think it should be decided by the performers who design a piece of theatre based on their knowledge of the children audience. What is children’s theatre? What should be the level of involvement for children? This paper is not a systematic review of the discipline and it is not an attempt to re/define children’s theatre. Rather, it is about a pedagogical approach to creating a piece of theatre for children between the age of 4 and 10 that can enable them to learn and be morally developed while being entertained at the same time. In this paper children’s theatre is the term that will be used throughout. Mon, 01 May 2017 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/2451/75342 2017-05-01T00:00:00Z