After nearly a year of planning, preparations practice, and support from MMQ, Theatre and Events Group, Stairway’s theatre rendition of The Lorax premiered last April 22nd, Earth Day. It played throughout the month of May to hundreds of children and adults, as a part of Stairway’s latest program called Environmental Awareness for Children and Youth or EACY. The purpose of EACY is to foster an understanding and appreciation of our natural environment through our Sea Adventure School (SAS) and the Lorax play, which is based on the environmental classic by renowned children’s book author, Dr. Seuss. Click here to view images.
STAIRWAY’S PRODUCTION OF THE LORAX— IT TAKES A TEAM
The planning, the preparations, the rehearsals!
What great fun Stairway staff and children all had in producing Dr. Seuss’ environmental classic, “The Lorax.” The planning and preparations for the show were done well in advance of the rehearsals. In staying true to the story of theLorax, we were challenged with reproducing the actual characters and illustrations of the story. Many questions were asked: how do we create a Truffula tree, a Super-Axe Hacker, a Gluppity-Glup Machine or how do we make the Onceler’s factory grow Bigger and Bigger? In due time, and with a lot of creative thinking, all questions were answered and the production got underway with tremendous success!
The stage was transformed into the colorful whimsical world of Dr. Seuss.
It took at least a good hour to set the stage up for the play and another to strip it all down once the show was over. Performance time ran for about 30 minutes. Was it all worth it? The children thought so. They enjoyed the camaraderie and teamwork needed to make the show work. Further, the adulations and praises they received from audience members about their performance, the set design, props and costumes helped to affirm them in what they had done was a very good thing for a good cause.
The process
We started slow and worked in small groups. First teaching the older boys, and then having them help to rehearse the others. There were plenty of challenging tasks and times, like learning and perfecting difficult dance moves. Another was a particular incident where one of the boys protested that he was doing his very best, and yet it wasn’t good enough. After viewing himself on a video recording, he immediately changed his mind, and he vowed to do better. This little self-assessment and reflection encouraged the other children to improve their movements as well.
What was the purpose of performing the Lorax?
Witnessing a progressing environmental degradation of our beaches and seas has compelled us to start up a new program that we call Environmental Awareness for Children and Youth, or EACY. One component of the EACY program is the Sea Adventure School (SAS). We invite students to spend a day on a bangka (big outrigger boat) learning to snorkel and exploring the various marine habitats in the area. The following Saturday, back at Stairway’s Learning and Resource Center, the children examine under microscopes various specimen they have collected during their adventure trip. They also watch environmental films, have discussions and make action plans on how to affect positive change. They conclude the day watching the stage play of the Lorax, which is always followed by more discussion on our own role in preserving the environment.
The Lorax worked because of the people behind it.
What made the Lorax work? Of course the quality of the performance by the children, but more importantly, the people we don’t see during the performance–the production team. Stairway has a great one. From the set design to the costumes, to the lights to the meals, everyone in Stairway was involved in the production of the Lorax in helping to make it an awesome experience for all who watched it.
Thank you Stairway team, children and the abundant of volunteers and friends for staging a “splendiferous , glorious, glimdeferous, splondorious, dandy, fandy, findulous, wondrous performance!”
Click here to view images.