I have directed Shakespeare’s Tempest for Kids at least 6 different times, and the costumes and kids always change. But, one thing is consistent, the THUNDER TUBE! I use this great drum thunder tube by REMO to make all the thunder sounds during the play. The kids LOVE it… so much that they want to…
The Tempest Thunder Sound was originally published on Shakespeare for Kids Books
I have had several people reach out to me who are performing my Jungle Book for Kids and ask about costumes. So, to make it easy for everyone, this is what I have done for my performances in the past. Please keep one thing in mind, ALL my performances use a minimal costume set. This makes it both economical as well as focused on the kids. That being said, here is what I did for each character. (disclaimer, there are affiliate links here, but you pay the same, I just get a small % of the sale via Amazon – thanks for the support!)
Shere Khan – Not amazon, but Etsy – I simply had the kids where a black shirt/pants and where this AMAZING mask and then complement it with a tiger’s tail. Mask is $20 and the tail is $7
Mowgli – simple, dirty torn white t-shirt, ripped jeans, and some dirt on their face – bam! You have a wild jungle boy!
Wolves – whether it was Father Wolf, Brother Wolf, or any members of the pack, I had them wear a white or black t-shirt and this cool Wolf Winter Hat. $8/each
Baloo – Similar to the wolves, it was a warm winter hat, but a slightly bigger version. Complemented him with a brown shirt. $20
Bagheera – Another winter hat, closer to Baloo’s style. Complemented that with a black shirt, and black tail, and some black makeup on her face, and BAM! She was looking good! $20
Monkeys – for the monkey scene, where they steal Mowgli, I had them all where Curious George masks, it was hilarious! Inexpensive and effective as well! $5 for a set of 4 masks
Rikki-Tiki-Tavi – since he’s a mongoose, I went with a classic raccoon tail hat. Add a brown shirt or a karate outfit, if one is handy and throw in a few cool karate moves, and you’re golden!
Cobras – This really cool mask, toss in a black t-shirt and pants, and we are good.
Humans – some torn pants and a t-shirt. I also tossed on this hat because it was inexpensive and versatile, as the hat can flip up and down to create different affects.
Jungle Book for Kids – Costumes was originally published on Shakespeare for Kids Books
So, I recently directed Oliver Twist for Kids and am about to direct A Christmas Carol for Kids. In doing so, I have come across a great costume that is both inexpensive and very effective as a fun kids cape to wear. As you may or may not know, there is a creepy villain, that is constantly referred to as the caped guy, in Oliver Twist named Monks. (Think of the villain from Meet The Robinsons). As well, there is the fourth ghost in A Christmas Carol that is the Grim Reaper. Both these characters can easily wear the same, simple, costume. Add a mustache for Monks and a staff for the Grim Reaper and bamm! You are good to go! (This is also a great cape for use with Macbeth for Kids for the “Murderer” character!)
I spent quite some time looking through all the different capes/cloaks/hooded sheets on Amazon until I found the right size, look, length, and price that works!
It’s a simple black hooded cloak with a crushed velvet finish to make it look really cool. The best part is that the kids LOVE wearing it (and for less than $20!) Half the time they’re acting like Darth Vader when wearing it off stage, but hey, that’s the fun of being an actor, right? Using the imagination!
Here is the link to Amazon for the Cape. Have a great performance and see you on the stage!
Monks and Grim Reaper Cape Costume – Simple was originally published on Shakespeare for Kids Books
So, I teach Shakespeare for Kids classes all over the place, and most venues I teach at do not come with stages. I’ve performed in gyms, dance rooms, dojos, boyscout meeting areas, and classrooms. One thing is consistent, I need a place for the actors to go “off-stage”. That is why I created easy-to-assemble sides, built to travel and make an instant performance space!
Below are the simple instructions for the inexpensive and portable sides. Once created, these sides take about 10 minutes to put up and take down, which makes them GREAT for quick performances like Playing With Plays books.
Below are the parts you will need to make ONE side. I use 4, two per side of my “stage” area. You can get all the parts, except the drapes, at a hardware store. The curtains you can find at places like Bed, Bath & Beyond, Target, or Walmart. All in all, each side is no more than $10-15.
Steps:
1) Start with (3) 10′ sticks of 1/2 inch PVC pipe. Cut each at 6 feet which will leave you 2 pieces a 6′ and 4′ length. Put 2 of the 6 foot sticks off to the side, those are done and do not need any more work.
2) Take 2 of the 4′ sticks and cut them in half. This will yield (4) 2′ PVC pieces. These are the base stabilizers, put these on the side, those are done and do not need any more work. You should have (1) 6′ piece and (1) 4′ piece left.
3) Cut the 6′ piece down to a 4′ piece. You will now have (2) 4′ pieces and (1) 2′ piece. Discard the 2′ piece, it is no longer needed.
4) TOP CROSS BAR – Take (1) 4′ piece and put (1) 90° elbow on each end. Rotate and push in as far as possible. We are not taking these apart again, so, make sure they are in good and snug.
5) On a flat surface, make sure that the TOP CROSS BAR can sit on the elbows flat on the surface. We need to make sure this is square before we move forward. See figure 1.
Figure 1 – Square up the ends
6) Once the elbows are aligned and square on the TOP CROSS BAR, then turn it over and drill a pilot hole on the inside bend, for our screw. See figure 2.
Figure 2 – pilot hole
7) Screw the 1″ drywall screw into each side. This locks the pole and elbow into place so it can not rotate in the future. See figure 3. (Sides can rotate and fall down if they are not secured by the screw) Put the top cross bar aside, you are done with this piece.
Figure 3 – adding the screw
8) BOTTOM CROSS BAR – Very similar to the top cross bar, but we are including 2 T’s in here. First, take the 4′ stick of PVC and measure and mark 3.5″ and 4.5″ from each end. Cut the PVC at these markings using the PVC pipe cutter. See figures 4 & 5. You should have 5 pieces left: (2) 3.5″ pieces (2) 1″ pieces and (1) 39″ piece. Please note, dimensions will not be perfect, and they don’t need to be, as PVC is flexible.
Figure 4 – measure and cut
Figure 5 – cut
9) Discard the 1″ pieces. Then, assemble the elbow and T’s as seen in figure 6 using the 3.5″ pieces. Be sure to square up and align the 90° elbows AND the T’s. Drill the pilot holes and add the 1″ drywall screws as shown. You should now have 2 pieces assembled that look like figure 6.
Figure 6 – elbow and T assembly
10) Insert the long pipe between the two new pieces we just made. Be sure to square the 90° elbows. Similar to what we did during step 5. Once they are square, drill the pilot holes on both sides. See figure 7.
Figure 7 – bottom bar assembly
11) Add the last 2 screws to the bottom assembly and you have all your pieces done! See figure 8.
Figure 8 – Bottom assembled
12) Now, assemble all the pieces and it should look a little something like figure 9!
Figure 9 – complete assembly
13) I add two holes on both sides of the curtains with a zip-tie in each. It keeps the curtains taunt during the show, as kids ALWAYS want to stick their heads through to see what the audience is doing! See figure 10.
Figure 10 – adding the zipties
Figure 11 – Ziptie locations
14) Now you are ready for a show! Enjoy! Oh, and during the shows, I tape two of the poles together to create one large 8-foot wide panel for the kids to go “back stage”. See figure 12.
Figure 12 – Show time!
Portable Sides for Easy Stage Productions Anywhere! was originally published on Shakespeare for Kids Books
Soothsayer and Caesar
So, I always have fun and do my best to work the laughs for the audience in my melodramatic Shakespeare for Kids plays. That’s certainly true with my performance of Julius Caesar for Kids! I used one specific prop to get some laughs. The Magic 8 Ball! (find it here on Amazon) That’s right, the soothsayer came out to warn Caesar about the “Ides of March” and then pulled out the Magic 8-ball to prove it so! The audience loved it, and, more importantly, the kids loved using it! Fun for all!
Enjoy!
Crystal Ball for Caesar – Magic 8-ball! was originally published on Shakespeare for Kids Books
Et tu, Brute?!
Two of my Shakespeare for Kids books, Julius Caesar and Hamlet, have the need for some very simple costume material: bed sheets for toga robes. All those Roman kids wear togas and Hamlet’s dad is, of course, a ghost. Both are very simple to costume up for the stage, just get some bed sheets. However, even the cheapest bed sheets are about $4-5 a piece… too pricey for my blood. But, there is a GREAT and inexpensive solution, your local hotel. (see below for some fun photos)
All hotels go through bed sheets all the time, a simple cut or stain and they toss them out. This is where we come in. Just ask if they have some old sheets you can have and they will most likely fill a bag’s worth for you! Easy-peasy! (and most importantly, free!)
A bag of bed sheets
Now, just poke two eye-holes for the ghost. As for the Romans, simply tie them in a knot on their shoulder, put a gold rope around their waist, presto-chango, done! (be sure they wear shorts and a t-shirt, this is a kid-friendly show you know!)
As for the golden rope, yep, I’ve done the work for you, you can find that here on Amazon! At 18 yards in length, it’s enough for about 8-10 kids.
See you on the stage!
Julius Caesar cast
Pompey and his minions
Go away, Caesar’s ghost!
Simple and Free Caesar Costumes – Toga! was originally published on Shakespeare for Kids Books
So, I recently did the play, Treasure Island for Kids, and it was an absolute blast. However, when it came to costumes, those were relatively easy, until… Long John Silver. How do I show a wooden leg on a kid, on stage? I can’t have him hoping around the entire time, bound to cause tripping issues. I can’t…
Long John Silver Wooden Leg was originally published on Shakespeare for Kids Books
Brendan's thoughts 