CHILDREN’S VOICES THEATER
Promote Literacy and Celebrate the Imagination With ‘Children’s Voices Theater’ Children’s Voices transforms stories and poems written by students K-6, into a magical theatrical experience that combines: Acting, Mime, Comedy, Masks, Puppetry, Juggling plus audience participation. Throughout the performance, Michael Zerphy and Marv Klassen-Landis, creators of Children’s Voices, weave themes of trusting one’s inner voice, overcoming fear, and getting started when ‘I don’t know what to write’. Students get so excited after seeing this performance that they can’t wait to write their own poems and stories. This production is a high energy high student motivator. Workshops and residencies are also available. A Teacher Guide is provided. Comments on Children’s Voices "Gifted educators as well as artists, Klassen-Landis and Zerphy connect with students both on stage and in the classroom-a rare combination in our ever more specialized world. They care about process as well as product, about the spontaneity where learning and fun intersect. Most of all, they care about children. Children’s Voices performances and Authentic Voice residencies are an inspiring jumping off place for every child with an imagination, whether motivated or disinclined to write. I wish these guys were around when I was first learning to skip rope with the muse!" -C.P. Boswell, Executive Director,
Lebanon Opera House, Lebanon, NH "Michael and Marv have created a show that is diverse and engaging. It was intriguing and so much fun to see the kids get so excited to rush off and write their own poems and stories after seeing other kids’ writing come to life on stage. The show introduces to them the concept that performance comes from written words, which begin in the imagination. Imagination to page to stage!" -Sabrina Brown, Executive Director, Pentangle Council on the Arts, Woodstock, Vermont "We very much enjoyed 'Children's Voices' . The dramatizations of the children's writing really put the pizzazz into the words. Students enjoyed the performance very much. I was among them and watched their reactions along with the performance. You could see in their faces how the words came to life for them. Teachers remarked at how well done and helpful the study guide was, too. I used your 'story starting' technique of imagining yourself as an animal to write from that perspective - the student now uses that strategy on her own to come up with ideas to write about."
"Superb! The whole concept of using children’s stories as a basis for their performance was tremendous. It’s a great way to empower children as well as to demonstrate that stories are not "flat"-simply words on a page." -M. Judge, South Royalton Elementary School, South Royalton, Vermont "Good message that can’t be overemphasized: Let’s all be writers. Allow everyone’s voice." -Piper Pond Scalabrin, Grantham Elementary School, Grantham, New Hampshire "My students loved reenacting pieces back in the classroom as I read them." -Ginny White, Hartland Elementary School, Hartland, Vermont
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