Past Children's Events
T he timeless enchantment of a magical fairy tale is reborn with the Rodgers & Hammerstein hallmarks of originality, charm and elegance. Laura Gallagher-Byrne and Theatre Workshop will bring it all to life with the Children of Nantucket in July, 2007 Nantucket. See our 2007 Programming schedule for dates and times and visit our auditions page to get involved!
 In this unique "storybook to life" program, kids will have a blast, as they become the actors and learn improv skills to bring your favorite tales to life. Participants will be cast from the audience to recreate the roles in the story, using costume pieces, makeup and props, transforming kids into their favorite characters, and providing an amazing participation connection to the performing arts . The remaining audience members will make their own crowns to become part of the court and in 15 minutes and the show resumes! Total time with craft, about one hour!
 Theatre Workshops Children’s Drama Camps
July 2007
Kids will explore the art of storytelling as they take the written page to the stage. Through experimental improvisations and games. they will learn the teamwork of creating theater together to create scripts and physical characterizations. Through the process, it will be made clear that theater is a team sport requiring the support of every player. There are no stars...the process is about learning to collaborate and create art as a group. This camp allows equal opportunities for every participant to be as involved as they choose to be.
“Theatre works!” is a program developed and designed by Professional Actress and Theatre Educator Tiffany Page, in residency this summer on Nantucket with the Theatre Workshop.
Shooting Stars Drama Camp
In collaboration with the Nantucket Boys & Girls Club, kids ages 7-17 will get a hands on opportunity to work with TWN's Resident Company, hand picked from more than 1500 who auditioned to be here for the month of August to perform Moby Dick the Musical and share their theater knowledge and expertise. The camp will culminate in their very own Musical Theater performance.
 Jack and the Beanstalk – a children’s interactive theater production
Bennett Hall, 62 centre Street
“There was once upon a time a poor widow who had an only son named Jack, and a cow named Milky-White. And all they had to live on was the milk the cow gave every morning, which they carried to the market and sold. But one morning Milky-White gave no milk, and they didn't know what to do”
Written by Michele Vacca
Produced by Special Arrangement with CLASSICS ON STAGE! of Chicago.
 2002's production of "Oliver!" directed by Laura Gallagher-Byrne, with a very large cast of children was an enormous success and sparked a lot of interest in theater from island young people.
In 2004, Laura directed Don't Count Your Chickens Until They Cry Wolf, a musical adaptation of Aesop's most beloved fables. The show was great entertainment for all ages and involved about 26 kids from ages 10 - 15 on stage and ages 16-17 stage managing and running the light board. Everyone had such a great time, they begged her to give classes.
In early January of 2005, once we had moved into our new home at The Methodist Church and had a year round venue, Laura started her classes on Wednesday afternoons with about 15 kids. It was another huge success and they gave exhibition performances on March 31 and April 8 to a packed house showing the variety of techniques they had learned.
 In July of 2005 Laura directed Really Rosie, a musical by Maurice Sendak with lyrics and music by Carol King about a little girl in Brooklyn with dreams of grandeur. This show was another box-office hit and community success with more than 20 island youth involved. This production was generously underwritten by the Nantucket Golf Club's Children's Charity Foundation.
In December, again thanks to a very generous grant from the Nantucket Golf Club's Children's Charity Foundation, we produced A Christmas Carol: Scrooge and Marley. A wonderful adaptation by Israel  Horovitz of Charles Dickens' classic tale. Due to the size of the cast - more than 30 involved - and the complexity of the spectacular revolving set and flying staircase, the show was presented at Bennett Hall. Children from ages 5 to 15 were involved both acting, singing and understudying. The show was directed by Meredith Martin and was a wonderful community event.
In 2006 island Artist and Magician Mark Carapezza approached TWN with his kid’s TV variety show idea: Detention with Oliver Diamond. We loved the concept and helped Mark start kids improve classes at the theatre and the Nantucket Boys & Girls Club to develop young actors, improvers, skits and talents. Kid’s developed ideas and created story boards for commercials, which they then filmed and edited. These were then shown nightly at the variety show. Island-wide auditions were held to find “unusual human or pet  tricks” for the show also. When it came time to produce the show, thanks to a generous donation to TWN from Annie Bissinger and Permits Plus, the upstairs Performance center was transformed into a TV recording studio. Cameras, TV monitors, sound booms and equipment filled the room. All kids in the audience sat on a rug at the front and became part of the show, helping Oliver interview his guests and talk about “kids issues” like being scared or being nervous. |
Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey
Michele L. Vacca
Based on the works of Dr. Seuss
Tiffany Page
