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Christmas Program: Directing a Children’s Play – Part 1 of 3

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My son - Shepherd 2 🙂

In the next three weeks, I will share the process and results of directing the children’s Christmas program at my son’s school. When I first mentioned this project, posted in My Upcoming 2011-2012 Events, I was scheduling time to read and search for a script.

Often, finding the content is the most time-consuming part of the event. Preparing a solid foundation and framework provides a home for the “guts” of the event. Since the details fall into place with a set structure, I focused two-thirds of my time on preparing for the program before rehearsals began.

My planning process for this free Christmas children’s program followed this progression:

Part 1 – Script, Set, Properties

Part 2 – Cast and Crew, Costumes, and Lighting

Part 3 – Rehearsals, Program, and Performance

Script

Finding a Christmas program that meets my criteria takes a few weeks. I spent about thirty minutes each day for over a week reading print scripts and searching online. After locating this play that had great form but needed some revisions, I began the approval process through the school and contacted my father-in-law for his assistance in adapting the play. Within a week, the adapted script was in final form with approval from the school. Yeah!

After formatting the script into scenes and adding in Christmas carols, I created the cast of characters page listing all the characters for which I needed actors. (Note: Most programs come with the cast of character’s page. However, the free program I used did not have this information included.)

With the revised script and prefatory pages complete, I was ready to prepare for the performance.

Set

With the script complete, I began sketching a preliminary set for our production. Knowing the entrances and exit options for our auditorium, I took pencil and paper and drew different sized boxes for the elements needed in the script. For example, the box representing the couch was longer than the box illustrating the benches for the church pews.

I then read the script from beginning to end mapping out the blocking (traffic patterns of the actors) making sure there were no conflicts.

When the plan worked, I compiled a list of items I needed to create the set.

Properties

Also known as props, the properties are the items used by actors throughout the program. From a magazine to a mortar and pestle, I added to the set list all the properties I needed to aid the actors in communicating the gospel message.

With the prop list complete with all the items needed for this production, I was ready for the next phase.

After planning the script, set design, and properties, I was ready to execute these plans with help. The next phase of preparation for the Christmas program required a crew (helpers to carry out the plan). Next week, I will share the cast and crew, costumes, and lighting developments.

This process takes time and preparation, but with the proper foundation, all the details come together. Are there changes? Absolutely! The changes can be made easily because you know the framework and can adjust within that framework.

Whether you are directing a children’s program, hosting a birthday party, or entertaining friends, planning will take you from beginning to end. If you don’t have a framework, then you will continue to make adjustments, and your participants will get confused. For any successful event, the key is using time wisely  to organize. Happy planning!

Fall Festival: Recap Meeting

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Photograph Credit: Flickr (Caston Corporate)

Before planning the events of 2012, I want to take a few posts to complete the events from 2011. In revealing my upcoming events in 2011-2012 post, I highlighted three events. Having completed the fall festival, I promised more information on how to better plan for next year, then came Thanksgiving, Christmas, and the Top 10 List.

In getting back on track, I will share what I learned about fall festival and how I plan to improve next year.

Successes

Barriers: Enclosing the space kept all the students and children safe and within boundaries. Separating the open play area and the ponies designated a natural entrance to the pony rides within the KidZone. This arrangement worked so well.

Bounce Houses: Increased number from 2 to 5 this year. The lines were manageable and moved quickly. Having totes for shoes, outdoor mats, and canopies at each entrance kept the area clear, clean, and shaded.

Police Officer: Keeping watch over the entrances and wooded area around the KidZone, the police officer oversaw the safety of our event. Having him available during money exchanges and changing of the volunteers was extremely helpful in keeping our event safe.

Stage Performances: With performances beginning every half hour, the KidZone stayed alive during the full event. Having the hay bales for seating gave the stage an automatic audience. The placement worked well in the center of the area, and the juggling and karate demonstrations were well-received.

Volunteers: This event would not be possible without the many volunteers. In KidZone alone, I worked with over 50 volunteers throughout the day. Asking community organizations to help with our event allowed our staff and parents to oversee the details.

The event was definitely a success without any major problems. However, there are always those unexpected items to improve next year.

Improvements

Audio: Add speakers and microphone to area for announcements and stage area. We had no way to get information to those in the KidZone. For safety, we need to have audio for next year.

Advertising: KidZone flyers distributed at the entrances than ignored at the KidZone registration table.

A source of frustration: I spent a good 2-3 hours designing a half-sheet flyer with a map and details about the Kidzone. Volunteers were scheduled to distribute these flyers at the KidZone entrance.

When a few volunteers failed to arrive, I adjusted responsibilities. Unfortunately, the flyer distribution suffered, and I found the stack of flyers in a box after the event. Though it was a source of frustration, I have the template for next year. (Looking on the bright side. :-))

Giant Slide: Need a more advanced slide next year. The younger children had lots of activities while the older students missed the giant slide. There was miscommunication with the contract. The e-mail indicated the large slide would be delivered, but we received a small one. Next year, I will be more proactive with the bounce house contracts and contacts.

Cleanup: The most frustrating part of the event was cleanup. The new crew came in with gusto. In an effort to help, they cleared everything out, stacked remaining items in storage, and left.

I ended up coming back on Monday morning to sort through all the KidZone items. Finding coolers filled with floating leftover water bottles, totes with soiled paper towels, and missing items was not pleasant. Knowing that tearing down will be quick and immediate, I need to better prepare next year.

I may try to choose one area where all the KidZone items stay until I can go through the items. By the end of the event, I hit an energy low. Dealing with cleanup was hard to swallow.

After each major event, I like to take a week to decompress and take a step back to view the big picture. With a little break, I can better rate the details to find the successes and failures. By writing down these observations and finding solutions, I bring these notes to the recap meeting for my report.

The recap meeting for this event was long, but lots of suggestions given to consider for improving our event for next year. In using time wisely, I celebrated the successes, learned from the unexpected surprises, and enjoyed the process.

Question: What helps you improve your events? Please add your comments and suggestions.

House Guests: Showing Hospitality

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Photograph Credit: Flickr (Tony and Laura)

Last weekend our family had the privilege of hosting house guests. Yes, I spent the week of Thanksgiving scrubbing, dusting, organizing, and vacuuming our entire house after my daughter’s bout with hand, foot, and mouth. While our children were counting down the days until our guests’ arrival, the excitement was building.

Our house guests consisted of a family of 4, who are serving as missionaries halfway around the world but are in the States on furlough until the beginning of 2012. As they are making their way to supporting churches, family, and other friends, they chose to stop for a quick visit with us. We were thrilled to accommodate them for the 2 days and 1 night of their visit.

Before you believe I have 2 nice guests’ rooms with a private bath to welcome our guests, let me give a little background. Our home fits our family perfectly. We have 3 bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms. With our family of 5, we are snug as a bug in a rug.  By adding another 4 individuals, we got the opportunity to be hospitable. Our family gladly adjusted our normal routine to accommodate our friends for the evening.

On a typical night, our family sleeps in our own rooms:
  • Bedroom 1: Paul and Tracy in master bedroom
  • Bedroom 2: Youngest daughter in nursery
  • Bedroom 3: Two older children in bunk beds
With our guests visiting, we adjusted our routine to the following placement:
  • Bedroom 1: Our missionary friends – husband and wife – in our master bedroom
  • Bedroom 2: Youngest daughter in nursery
  • Bedroom 3: Our missionary friends’ sons slept in the bunk beds. Our son also wanted to sleep in the same room with these boys. By pulling out the extra mattress housed under the lower bunk bed, our son slept there near his friends.

So, where did Paul, my oldest daughter, and I sleep? We camped out in our bonus room. Paul pumped up our air mattress for my daughter and I. Then Paul slept in the recliner. Though we were out of our routines, we all slept well and enjoyed our special time with our friends.

Having a medium-size home without a guest room does not deter our family from showing hospitality. All our possessions have been given to us from our Heavenly Father, and we choose to use our resources for His honor and glory. With thankfulness for a nice home, we welcome guests and enjoy using time wisely visiting with our friends.

As the holiday season quickly arrives, don’t be afraid to adjust your routine as you welcome your friends and family into your home. These visits allow your family to serve your guests with hospitality. What a great way to share the Christmas spirit while using time wisely! Happy planning!

Question: To how many people will you be showing hospitality this Christmas season? Please add your answer to the comments.

Thanksgiving: Soup Celebration

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In serving on a parent committee at my son’s school, I get to work with a fabulous group of ladies. We plan events and programs for our parents, teachers, staff, and students. Our planning sessions together are thorough, so we are all on the same page preparing for the next event.

For the Thanksgiving program performed by our students, our committee handled the details of the luncheon held on the last day of school before the Thanksgiving break. My part of the festivities included making tea and broccoli and cheese soup.

Gallons of Tea

As the queen of tea making, I gladly offer to bring gallons for our events. For this Thanksgiving event, I brought 5 gallons of sweet tea and 1 gallon of unsweetened tea. At the end of the luncheon, there was not a drop of sweet tea left. I know because I went searching. The lemonade was also running low, so we had very thirsty participants. For the next event, I will adjust the amount and bring another 2 gallons of tea to be on the safe side.

Stock pot of Broccoli and Cheese Soup

In preparing for the luncheon, I made 5 batches of soup in rounds. I used two non-stick Dutch oven pots for the first two rounds. As I finished the soup, I poured it into my large stock pot. After making the fourth pot, my stock pot was filled. When I took the soup to school, I brought the filled stock pot and a full Dutch oven.

Though transporting the soup was uneventful, the heating of the soup proved to be difficult. The gas stove heated the pot quickly and burnt the bottom. Once the soup was stirred, the burnt flavor was distributed throughout the soup. Though it still tasted good and most people would not notice it, I tasted the difference.

Along with the broccoli and cheese soup, the committee also provided corn chowder, tortellini, chicken noodle, tomato, vegetable chili, and beef chili. The display was very colorful and flavorful. If we make soup again, I might consider pouring the soup into smaller containers to reheat to prevent burning.

In working with these different events, there always seems to be adjustments that can be tweaked to make our next gathering better. I really enjoy these event planning opportunities. Working with these ladies is fun, beneficial, and rewarding. As you plan your next event, gather with your friends and enjoy the planning process. Happy planning!

Question: What events are you planning? Please add your answer to the comments.

Scheduling: 2011 Thanksgiving Feast

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Photograph Credit: Flickr (Emiliano Lobanco)

With the turkey thawing and the grocery shopping complete, my Thanksgiving plans are underway. With today’s activities planned, I can concentrate on timing the baking and cooking for Thursday’s meal.

Our celebration of thankfulness will include our family of five with my husband’s parents. Since my in-laws have graciously offered to provide the corn on the cob, Jello salad, and green salad, my preparations will include the turkey, gravy, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce, bread, and beverages. Whew! Though the long list can be overwhelming, I break down the parts into time blocks for easy execution on Thursday morning.

Thursday

 

9:15 a.m. Turkey baking in the oven.
10:00 a.m. Peel the potatoes.

Make the stuffing.

Prepare the sweet potatoes.

Set the table.

Place butter and cranberry sauce into serving dishes.
11:30 a.m. Cook the potatoes.
11:45 a.m. Remove turkey from oven.

Place bread in oven.
12:15 p.m. Remove bread from oven.

Bake the stuffing and sweet potatoes.

Start making the gravy.
12:30 p.m. Mash the potatoes.

Carve the turkey.
12:45 p.m. Remove the stuffing and sweet potatoes from oven.

Prepare the table for our meal.
1:00 p.m. Feast time!

This schedule will keep me focused and organized on Thursday morning while preparing for our Thanksgiving meal. Having a written schedule to refer to allows me to concentrate on other items while following my plan.

Though your plan will look different from mine, just start from meal time and work backwards. By knowing what needs to stay hot, you can adjust your own schedule to fit your preferences. However you celebrate, I wish you a wonderful Thanksgiving Feast. Happy planning!

Question: How early do you plan to be in the kitchen on Thanksgiving morning? Please feel free to add your comment.