Welcome to Children's Theatre

Welcome to the Children's Theatre website, home to all the information about this fantastic Murdoch University unit. Throughout this site, you can find the latest details about current and past Children's Theatre productions through a variety of perspectives, feedback, photos and personal reflections. Although this site was originally constructed in 2005, it remains a current resource, and an arena, for exhibiting the processes of each of the Children's Theatre productions and it's participants who took part; both past and present.

My name is Andrew Kocsis, and have just recently commenced a PhD in the area of Shakespeare, Children's Theatre and education at Murdoch University, Perth, Western Australia. I have previously completed Honours and a four year Bachelor of Education, with a double major in Drama and Media. With a focus (and interest) in Drama Education, I have constructed this site to highlight the incredible work and processes in front, and behind the scenes, of each Children's Theatre production. If you ever have any comments, ideas or reflections to contribute, please send submissions (with your name attached) to my new e-mail address @

thechaseison@optusnet.com.au

Background music by Nick Choo

April 2009: Here is the new stuff! Community Notice board Week Eight and the final script (Act One and Act Two) are now available. More to come soon!!!!

March 2009: It's a little late, but here are the new pages for March. The new Community Notice boards are up, including... Week Two, Week Three and Four, Week Five and Six and Week Seven. Also check out photo galleries from week three (Improvisations), week four (Improvisations), and week five (Auditions). There is always extra stuff like comments, production notes and the cast list to view... enjoy!

February 2009: Children's Theatre is off again... this time with one of the biggest student cohort ever! The year's first Community Notice Board is available with some photos, and designs for the upcoming production.

June 2008: Lots of new additions this month, with more still to come. The Captive Carousel history page is now up, with individual cast and crew shots, and Martina's photos gallery to appear soon. Also check out new galleries from Ellie Hart's own collection (One, Two and Three) and pictures from the final dress rehearsal (One and Two). Finally, view completed Set Pieces as well as shots taken from the annual School Incursion (One, Two and Three).

May 2008: Three new noticeboards page have been added, with character profiles and pictures from Week Eleven/Ten, Week Thirteen, and Week Fourteen. You can also find more photo galleries including First Dress Rehearsal shots (One and Two) and 'interesting' pictures from my 'Stolen Camera' (One and Two). Also new, the music of Nick Choo... added to the background of a number of different pages throughout the site... enjoy!

April 2008 (additional): Now up, a new Notice Board, with pictures from the 'historic' move to Nexus. Also, view new galleries featuring Completed Set Pieces and Make-up and Costume Ideas. Also added, view segments of Alexandra's sketch book (Week Seven, Week Eight and Week Ten), see some more designs from Bridget and look through more of Ellie's Costume and Make-up concepts.

April 2008: New Notice Board pages are up (Week Five - Week Six and Week Seven - Week Eight 2008) with stuff from the auditions and backdrop painting. Also, the trip to Apparition, Bridget's initial make-up ideas and the final script are now available (Act One and Act Two).

March 2008: Well, the website starts again for another year... with even more to come soon! Two new notice boards are up, Week One - Week Two and Week Three - Week Four. Also, go to last year's History Page (The Return of the Snow Queen) for new kids drawings and four new review pages (Page One, Two, Three and Four). For ideas on acting CV check out Mel's Acting CV, or Geoff Glencross for a production CV example. To view last year's 'My Space' characters, click on the following names... including Glimmer, The Snow Queen, Possum, Felicity and my own, Lord Hemlock.

December 2007: Due to recent enquires into effective educational ideas for the classroom, a new page of recommended website links has been created at Useful Links. If you have any favoured links to theatre, education or Shakespearean information, please contact me through my e-mail address @ thechaseison@optusnet.com.au

The 2007 Ed Pack is now available

June 2007 (additional): This year's History Page for The Return of the Snow Queen is now up, as well as the final Week Fourteen notice board (with additional comments still to follow) . Extra photos are now available including eight (8) Final Dress Rehearsal galleries, an additional Sunday Rehearsal page and an Understudy Photo Gallery, all featuring pictures from throughout the last two weeks. You can also view the conclusion to Lord Hemlock's forty-day plan to control the world, which (of course) come to a 'crashing' end; and while you're there, check out the rest of the My Space characters for 2007... enjoy!

June 2007: An enormous bundle of goodies are on offer at the moment. The 2007 Ed Pack is available to read, and the Week Thirteen notice board is up with pictures and comments from the lead up to the production week. Heaps of new photo galleries are now available, including Lauren's Photos (Gallery One and Two), Monday Rehearsal Gallery, shots from a mini-dress rehearsal (Gallery One and Two) and pictures from the school incursion (Gallery One, Two, Three and Four). Plus check out Sam's Make-up presentation (Gallery One, Two and Three) and Sam's make-up design's (Gallery One, Two, Three and Four) for all of the characters in this year's production.

May 2007 (Additional): Heaps of new noticeboard pages are up, including Week Ten, Week Eleven, and Week Twelve. View photos, comments, production notes and journal tips can now be seen. In addition, view pictures from the costume fitting day (Gallery One and Two), Tamyn-Leigh's Costume Photos, and pictures from the make-up session (Gallery One and Two). A total of five My Space characters are now on line , as Possum and Felicity have just recently been added.

May 2007: We now have three My Space characters on line. These include Glimmer, The Snow Queen, and Lord Hemlock. Please check out these profiles, and add comments or create you own if you wish. Also a new Notice Board is available, with initial costume and make-up ideas, new photos and journal comments.

April 2007 (Additional): Three more weeks are up on the notice pages. Study Week Two and Week Seven and Eight are now available with new photos, production notes and new journal ideas. Also check out Darren's Character Profile for ideas on developing your character, and http://www.myspace.com/glimmer_snow_fairy to read all about Glimmer.

April 2007: The official Cast List is now available!!!! Other additions to the new notice boards include the completed Snow Queen script (Act One and Act Two) as well as new photos by Paul, and production pictures from Tamyn-Leigh . At the Week Six notice board, Jenny Lees production wanted posters, journal entries from Rebekah, new pictures, journal hints and details about QUIET PLEASE! Also just added, pictures from the new notice board Study Week One, as well as three galleries displaying last year's production of Titus Andronicus. The pictures by Lisa Johnston can be viewed in the My Journal section of the website.

March 2007 (additional): Audition pictures, the production's synopsis and more journal tips can be located at one of the new Notice Board pages. In addition, in Week Five, view the provisional cast and the first act being blocked, as well as a Goofing Around gallery that proves we all have really have too much time on our hands!!! (Please Note: Mainly pictures of Paul!)

March 2007: A new Children's Theatre year begins, and with it... a brand new group of students. The first Community Notice Board is up for 2007, with lots of pictures and journal ideas to view. Also just added, Week Three's Notice Board has some ideas for journal reflection, and Mel's tips for the audition process. Unlike other years, I am not completing a journal; therefore the Notice Board will also include my personal reflections and thoughts on this year's production.

July 2006 (additional): Only just recently hearing about the passing of Reg Bolton, I add my condolences to all family and friends on the loss of such a great man. There are some limited pages on this website that highlights Reg's great commitment to the Circus and 'having fun', including Week Three 2006, photos from this year's Circus Skills and an interview with Reg in Week Three 2005. He will be surely missed.

"Circus is astonishingly underrated as a learning tool. Why is it so good? ‘cause it makes up for all those things that are missing in current childhood…hard work, self-design, risk, trust, aspiration and fun. All of those things that you get the least out of childhood, circus pulls it back in" - Reg Bolton (1945 - 2006)

... and find out more at Reg's website @ www.circusshop.net

July 2006: Just in the final stages of completing the Children's Theatre website for 2006. My Journal is now completely posted, with my final reflections of the performance week (Week Fourteen), my kids reviews and the draft checklists for the four Arts Outcomes (Arts Response, Arts Ideas, Arts Skills and Processes and Arts in Society). Go to Your Work to read Lauren's and Nicole's Independent Study Contracts, and you can also view Glynis' and Julian's completed journals. Galleries galore on the final Notice Board (Week Fourteen) with pictures of final performances Pre-show, Make-up salute and the Wrap-up , or go to Week Thirteen to view my son Jamie at the Final Dress Rehearsal. New photos also at the Snottygobbles History Page, with Martina's eleven (11) photo galleries, and nine (9) photo galleries compliments of Carol's. Also on the history page, check out the great artwork from students after seeing the first performance.

The 2006 Ed Pack is now available

June 2006 (additional): Some new additions to the site at the end of the semester. You can view one of the final activities that I created with my kids, go to 'Snottygobbles Retell' (Part One, Part Two, Part Three and Part Four). Also view photos Week Ten's Costume Fitting and Dance Workshop, and Week Thirteen's final dress rehearsal (Part One, Part Two and Part Three) and the Wings designed by the costume department.

June 2006: Finally, while deep in the middle of performance week, I've been able to post my journal entries. Go to My Journal and read the latest entries from Study Break Two - Week Eight, Week Nine - Week Ten, Week Eleven - Week Twelve and the intensive rehearsal week (namely Week Thirteen). In addition, all my Lesson Plans are now available, with checklists coming soon. Also, just added, the Snottygobbles History page and the first lot of Wishing Wand Wishes to read. Also check out the final comments from the cast and crew on the second last Community Notice Board for 2006.

May 2006 (additional): Three brand new Notice Boards for study break two and week eight, Week Nine and Ten and Week Eleven are now available. In addition, view the pictures from the Suicide Run, and as Darren has just taken over the role of Caballus, you can now read his detailed character profile on the site.

May 2006: My Wife. Amanda, and myself are happy to announce the birth of Jamie William McMullan. Born on the 1st of May 2006, he came in at 8 pounds, 1 oz

April 2006: As we approach the half way point of the semester, a number of updates have recently occurred to the site. A new Notice Board for week six and week seven is available, with the finalised (Act One and Act Two) script. In addition, Samantha's Power Point presentation (page One and Two) can also be viewed. My latest journal entries are up, with Week Five. Week Six and Week Seven all completed; plus my first two lesson plans (Family Photos and Picture Story) accompanied with detailed assessment marking guides.

It has come to my attention that some people believe this website shows way to much of Paul Grabovac! This criticism has been taken seriously; and from now on, less photos of Paul will be found here... with the exception of the following challenge. Distributed throughout the various pages of the Children's Theatre website are five (5) quotes from Paul. Can you find the five 'Paul says' quotes?

March 2006 (additional): Check out Mel's Acting CV, just in time for the auditions, and a small collection of Circus Skills pictures in a new photo gallery. You can also view the new Notice Board page, with comments, pictures, a production synopsis, new drawings from Julian and a 'Snottygobbles' first draft script. Official Cast List now available!!!! Also... two new journal entries (Week Three and Four and Study Break One), an updated Draft, another Notice Board, and read all about Geoff Glencross, the new Nexus Manager's, theatre history.

March 2006: Here we go again with another Children's Theatre semester! Already, my first two journal entries are available, and you can view all of my past journals at the My Journal page. Once again, the Community Notice Board is up and running, and currently you can view pictures, comments and designs from week one and two at this location. Also check out Julian's brilliant drawings for the new production.

February 2006: With the 2006 Children's Theatre semester approaching, many updates have recently occurred to the website this month. At Children Theatre - A Short History, view all the new pages including... Ten new photo galleries from the 2004 production of Athena Emu at the Olympics, three galleries from the Zak Zebra 's African Safari (2003), one group of photos from 2002's Shakespeare at Sea and pictures from Galah's Gambit (1993). Also view the school children's artwork produced after seeing the productions of Shakespeare at Sea (2002), The Minstrel's Tale (2001) and The Greatest Show on Earth: A Circus Story (2000) (including the letters written to the cast of 'The Minstrel's Tale'). In addition, new photo galleries have been added to My Journal... including two pages of photos featuring the 2004 production of Il Fornicazione and photos from the 2005 Shakespeare semester (just follow the new links from this page).

January 2006: As the new year begins, finishing touches are being completed on the Children's Theatre site. The transcripts of interviews with Reg Bolton, Salmiyah and Lindsay Lloyd are now completed. My hope is these interviews will provide additional information about the variety, support and depth of talent provided by these Children's Theatre veterans.

December 2005: Valerie O'Neill and Jodie Firman have just recently added their Children's Theatre journal to this site. These contributions see the creation of a brand new section devoted to the work of other students. At 'Your Work' you can read these journals and view the final Ed Pack produced for 'Captain Quokka's Adventure on the High Seas'.

(My Daughter, Jessica. Photo by The Giggle Gum Fairies' Garden)

Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children play is serious learning. Play is really the work of childhood.

Fred Rogers [i]

[i] Reader's Digest: Quotable Quotes, Canada: The Reader's Digest Association, p. 58