Topic: Children's Day 2015 - Kids' Castle Theater

Mairead Harker

Date: 2015-04-08 22:20 EST
Kids' Castle Theater - Setting and Events

((These are vapored/board play events. Date of play will be Friday, 17 April, but feel free to post before then.))

Hatton Point - Children's Play Park: Phase II - Kids' Castle Theater

Front view
http://i.imgur.com/lV1m4OP.jpg

Rear View
http://i.imgur.com/PYbkD1E.jpg

Overview and layout
http://i.imgur.com/MZHPf6A.jpg

Theater Stage
http://i.imgur.com/xapVW2I.jpg


The castle has an indoor buffet style dining area with a selection of foods including venison, turkey, and trout dishes for entrees. Side dishes, vegetarian entrees, and desserts vary seasonally. The main dining hall is indoors, but outdoor tables are available as well as a play area with spring horses.

There are full bathroom facilities that double as changing rooms. The two story theater has adult instructors on hand to aid children to learn and develop their stage talents and skills such as acting, singing, dancing, and prestidigitation.  Costumes, props, and DJ booth are provided for the convenience of the young actors, musicians, and any adults chaperoning them.

For those that prefer more athletic endeavors, an archery range and swimming pool moat are available. Life guards and an archery instructor are on duty while the theater and grounds are open to the public.

A similar castle venue is available at Hatton Point for weddings and other events for older audiences. Use of the castle or children's theater for private or group events can be arranged through Hatton Point's management office.

For Children's Day a demonstration of archery as well as an opportunity for children to try their hand at the sport will be run by Limelenath Sulriniel. Other demonstrations, workshops, and hands on events will be held throughout the day.

Limelenath S

Date: 2015-04-15 00:46 EST
By mid afternoon on Friday, a group of children waited their turn as Limelenath explained the handling of a bow and arrow. "Remember, draw the string toward the shoulder opposite your bow hand. Use your stronger hand to draw the string back." She demonstrated by holding the bow in her left hand, setting the arrow in place, and pulling back on the string with her right. When the arrow hit the target, it was in one of the larger rings and not the bullseye. "At the beginning, you should concentrate on learning to hold the bow correctly and steadily. Don't worry so much about hitting the center of the target. That will come with practice."

A girl of about ten was ready for her turn. "Doesn't it hurt to have the bowstring smacking your arm?"

Melly nodded. "Yes, it does. That's why students should wear arm guards or bracers." She held up her left arm to show the leather the protected her wrists and forearms. "They look like this." She helped the girl don a small set of bracers. "You need to be careful to avoid letting the string hit you in the face when you let go. Some people do wear face masks, but I find they block part of my field of vision."

One by one, the children were shown the basics. Safety was important, but having grown up with Elves teaching her, Limelenath had been taught to respect, but not fear the weapon that she had mastered over the years. She had been prepared to carve her own path in life. Some obstacles along that road had to be overcome as they we not likely to change to suit her liking. Pleased with the quick progress of some of the young ones, the half-elf offered them a challenge. Wooden pendulums shaped like axes were set in motion in front of the targets. Arrows landed in the shielding boards behind the targets, on the ground in front of the targets, and cheers rang out when the targets were hit. It didn't seem to matter what part of it was pierced.

Each child that hit the target was given a set of bracers to take home. Those that passed the challenge of the swinging axes were given a child sized bow and a few arrows as a prize.

The demonstration would end with how to make arrow fletching.

Mataya

Date: 2015-04-17 06:59 EST
In the morning, volunteers from the Shanachie Theater put on a theater workshop for the children. The subject' Melodrama.

"Everyone knows the characters from a melodrama," Mataya told the children, grinning as she spoke. "There's the Hero - you can always tell he's the Hero, because of the way he stands. Everyone cheers when the Hero comes on stage; we all know he's going to win."

She gestured toward Jonathan Granger, who obliged her by puffing out his chest, laying his hands on his hips, feet apart, and affected the most heroic expression he could muster, much to the children's amusement.

"There's the Villain," Mataya continued cheerfully, producing a top hat and cloak. "He has dastardly plans that are ridiculously complicated and he always thinks he's going to win. He's the bad guy, everyone boos him because he's so obviously up to no good. Look."

She tossed the hat and cloak to Yasmin, who put them on and hunched over, peering with playful malevolence at their little audience between the arm that held the cloak and the low pull of her hat. It didn't take any encouragement at all to get a boo out of the children for that one; she was so deliciously villainous.

"Then there's the Damsel in Distress," Mataya went on. "The Hero and the Villain fight over her, because she's so beautiful and so good. She's always in love with the Hero, and she's always a bit of a drip."

Her next gesture took in Carina Cox, who simpered outrageously, her hand pressed to her forehead as she swooned, blowing kisses at Jon and cowering before Yasmin. This set off another round of giggles, especially since the Hero and the Villain appeared to be having the world's worst staring contest through the Damsel.

Chuckling, Mataya waited for the giggles to die down before speaking again. "And sometimes there's the Sidekick," she explained. "Sometimes he works for the Hero, and sometimes he works for the Villain, but he's always an absolute idiot. But the Sidekick is important, because he is the only one who looks right at the audience. He's there to pull you in and get you involved. The Hero's Sidekick will get you to cheer for the Hero, and gasp when the Damsel is in trouble. The Villain's Sidekick reminds you to boo for the Villain, because the Villain is so mean to him."

This part was shared between Dru Granger and Joshua Stuart, who seemed far too enthusiastic about the whole thing - one more than happy to be kicked in the backside by the Villain, the other trying and utterly failing to look anywhere near as heroic as the Hero.

"The best part about a melodrama is that it's often completely silent, and all the sound effects are done live," Mataya explained, drawing the children's attention over to the table that was laid out with any number of ordinary things. She demonstrated shoes on gravel for footsteps, blowing over bottle tops for wind, even the sound of a head being chopped off made by hacking a lettuce in half! "So you are going to split into groups, and make up a melodrama to show everyone else. You can make up your own script, or you can do it in silence, but remember - you have to have a Hero, a Villain, and a Damsel. Shall we?"

The groups were made up of three or four children, each group with their own actor from the Shanachie to help them, and for a good forty minutes, the castle theater was loud with the sound of experimental sound effects, spirited arguments about plot, and the laughter of children trying something out for the first time. Parents who were lurking were roped in to performing sound effects for each little melodrama as it was shown off.

All in all, not a bad morning's work.