Dallas Children's Theater Blog

Astonishing Kids And Families With The Fun of Broadway-Like Plays and A Lot More!

How ALL children can benefit from the magic of theater!

DCT  student performance at Notre Dame School 3/3/2011When schools bring resident artists from Dallas Children’s Theater into their classrooms, wonderful learning experiences can happen.  Using our successful multisensory approach to learning, our artists work with students and teachers to bring classroom curriculum to life.  And we know that lessons learned in a creative, fun environment can last a lifetime.

One special example is DCT’s 14-year partnership with the Notre Dame School, where their mission is to provide a quality education to persons with mental disabilities and to facilitate their integration into society.  DCT resident artists work with the teachers and students in an eight week residency.  The project entails exploring a relevant theme through the creation of a play, which leads to a performance attended by the entire school.

Theresa Francis, Principal of the Notre Dame School, says the DCT residency “has become a highlight for our students and staff.   Notre Dame serves students with developmental disabilities and it is not often that they have the experience of being included in a class like this.  The staff at DCT is amazingly creative and so patient with our students. They bring costumes and equipment that enhance the performance and make it the highlight of the spring semester.  We hope to continue this partnership many years into the future.  The benefits that our students receive are so great and go hand in hand with our motto, ‘no limits, just possibilities’. We are so grateful for the opportunity to continue this wonderful program.”

DCT  student performance at Notre Dame School 3/3/2011

DCT’s Education Director, Nancy Schaeffer, is very proud of this partnership too. “Notre Dame is celebrating their 50th Anniversary this year.  We congratulate them for this accomplishment and thank them for making us a part of their history the last 14 years,” she says.

She continues, “Our Teaching Artists really love working with the students at Notre Dame School.  The characters that the students choose to portray in the shows are creative and energetic.  On the day of the show there is an excitement in the air and we all feel the amazing support from the entire school community.   The audience claps along with the music and cheers for their classmates.  The beaming smiles on the faces of the student actors is proof positive of the power of theater.

DCT  student performance at Notre Dame School 3/3/2011

The long-term relationship with Notre Dame and the growing interest of students with developmental disabilities in our classes have inspired Dallas Children’s Theater to pursue more meaningful offerings for children and families who require adaptive learning.  DCT is currently pursuing grant funding to enable us to produce up to six sensory-friendly programs per year and offer specialized classes for these audiences.  Sensory-friendly programming means that the show is presented with adjustments that enable children with autism on spectrum and other developmental disabilities to better enjoy the presentation.  These include raising the house lights, perhaps signaling when a loud noise is imminent or similar.  We want to thank Theresa and others who believe DCT is a safe place for families and therefore up to the challenge of providing these important opportunities so that ALL children can benefit from the magic of theater.

SUMMONING ALL DR. SEUSS FANS – THERE’S EVEN MORE CAT FUN

seussianpoetry (1)

 

 

 

 

DCT’s poetry contest has been extended through November 3!  Creatives don’t be shy!

So here’s the prize
Right off the bat,
Your family and you
Posing with Dr. Seuss’s The Cat!

We’ll do it on stage
And provide free tix to a show*,KAP_7097
You just write a poem
In Seuss style, you know!

A panel of Seussians
Will read the lot,
And then pick a winner
From the entries we’ve got.

So give it a whirl
Grab paper and pen,
Write an Ode to the Cat
And to DCT, turn it in!

In addition to the thrill of seeing the play, DCT continues to do its part to extend the theater experience by providing engagement opportunities around the show itself.

Send in a poem, Dr. Seuss style, for the chance to win a prize.  *One winner will be chosen to receive up to 5 free tickets to a show in DCT’s 30th Anniversary Season, and a framed photo of your group with DCT’s Cat.  (Photo shoot date must be mutually agreed upon.) Entries must be received by Sunday, November 3.  The winner will be announced on Sunday, November 8 on DCT’s Facebook page and on DCT’s website.  Need a helpful hint? Check out our lobby for lots of poetry inspiration!

To submit, email poems to: catpoems@dct.org.

Come see Dallas Children’s Theater’s Cat in the Hat.  You won’t want to miss that! Enjoyed by all ages. Now through November 3!

Celebrate DCT’s historical movie legends with Makin’ Movies On Demand!

**Update**

Attendees of Makin’ Movies on Demand 2013

 

Laura

Laura Witkowski and her mom, Mary Witkowski enjoyed Laura’s Makin’ Movies video entitled “Bananastan”.

Amari

Amari Jackson on the right along with Kenya, Kinsley and Kennedy Hildreth enjoyed viewing Amari’s Makin’ Movies video entitled “Shield of Dreams”.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Saturday, October 19
FREE!

The DCT Academy’s ever popular Makin’ Movies class is 25!  DCT’s very first employee, veteran actor, and Artist-in-Residence, Karl Schaeffer created this class 25 years ago and it is still gowing strong.  Many of the Makin’ Movies students are all grown up now.  Would you like to reminisce about your Makin’ Movies days?  If you or your child took a video class at DCT in the last 25 years and would like to see your video on the big screen then this event is for YOU!

“TV Sitcom” and “Lights, Camera, Action!” classes, 1991, commercial for a Spy Door

 

Fun facts about DCT’s Makin’ Movies classes:

  • The first Makin’ Movies class began in June of 1989.
  • DCT’s classes have been shot on Super 8 movie film, VHS, S-VHS, Digital 8, Mini DV and HD.
  • The Makin’ Movies Archive consists of films and videos made from the following classes: Makin’ Movies; TV Sitcom; Lights, Camera Action; DCT Summer Video camps.
  • Schaeffer’s most noted student to date is Evan Daugherty, who has quickly established himself as a screenwriter to watch in Hollywood with projects such as Snow White and the Huntsman, Divergent, and Ninja Turtles.  Daugherty was Schaeffer’s teaching assistant from 1994-2000. (Evan is the narrator in the video above!)
  • Since 1989 DCT has made 238 videos (52 TV Sitcom/Lights Camera Action programs, 137 Makin’ Movies Videos, 49 Summer Video Camp videos)

  The 2012 Summer Session 2 Makin’ Movies class in “Swine Flew”

Front row left to right Ben as Mental Mashuga, Mad Scientist; Dalton as Julian Smith, the Pignapper; Uanne as Zia Sidekick, Lab Assistant and Jack as Zonkout Analysis, Scientist Back row: Jace as Belth Allusis, Biololgist; Red as Bihan, Sub Zero Cyborg; Austin as Bobby the Not Bright Spartan; Connor as Sarge, Not Bright Sargeant; Jacqueline as Alexa Degree, Pig Lawyer and Finley as Greedy Guts, Little Pig

Front row left to right Ben as Mental Mashuga, Mad Scientist; Dalton as Julian Smith, the Pignapper; Uanne as Zia Sidekick, Lab Assistant and Jack as Zonkout Analysis, Scientist
Back row: Jace as Belth Allusis, Biololgist; Red as Bihan, Sub Zero Cyborg; Austin as Bobby the Not Bright Spartan; Connor as Sarge, Not Bright Sargeant; Jacqueline as Alexa Degree, Pig Lawyer and Finley as Greedy Guts, Little Pig

Makin’ Movies On Demand is a free event run by Schaeffer himself who will take requests for screenings. Schaeffer will search the archive to find a video that matches your request to be presented.  Please include the student’s name, and any of the following information you recall: video title, character and/or approximate year/semester the video was made.  Videos will be screened on a first come, first served basis.

Event Details:

MAKIN’ MOVIES ON DEMAND
Saturday, October 19, 2013 from 10:30am -11:30am
Rosewood Center for Family Arts
5938 Skillman Street, Dallas, Texas 75231.

To request your screening please email Karl at karl.schaeffer@dct.org!

See you at the movies!