Storytime Extension 3.A

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The Featured Artist extension is one of the easiest extensions to present to children. There is a host of Indigenous Artist, Singers, Dancers, Drummers, Medicine Keepers, Storytellers in every traditional territory and urban community. Contacting Friendship Centers, Universities, Colleges, Indigenous websites can link and guide you to these artists, musicians and professionals. I can also help to make these contacts to Artists.

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How Long Stalk Became a Flower is transposed into an Interactive Dramatic Play for children and youth to experience the world of Long Stalk in a collective visual and creative production that will inspire children, youth, teachers and the community toward the Dream of Peace.

Several years ago, I transposed the story of Long Stalk into a play for the daycare center I worked at with the children who inspired the story and series. The story transposed easily into a play. I had 6 main character roles for the kindergarten aged children; 4 secondary character roles for the preschool aged children; 7 third character roles for the younger preschool aged children; and as many fourth character roles as was needed to include all the children in the dramatic play. A seventh main character Rainbow Princess Guardian was created to fill the role for the seventh kindergarten student. This seventh character was created to be the representative for Sky Woman, Grandmother Moon and Mother Earth in the Whirling Rainbow Garden in East End Park. She is a great granddaughter, granddaughter and daughter respectively; and her role is to protect all children. An eighth character was created since then to complete the artwork imagery in the final draft of the illustrated book. This eighth character, The Great Spirit Guardian of the Rainbow Flower Kingdom and The Rainbow Princess Guardian together, represent the Life Givers and Life Protectors. Their roles are to help guide all children to their own creative power and the responsibility we all have to help bring back the balance between the feminine and masculine energies that flow through all life for our Mother Earth and all creation. 

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How Long Stalk Became a Flower Play can be presented by students for peers in the school or community setting. The Creative Goal is to first work with students in the School setting and build the production froward until the students are confident to present the play to their school's community. The students will hone their acting, art and production skills together and present the play to various classes in their own school. Once they feel confident to present the play outside of their own school, the Production can then be presented to other neighborhood schools, daycares, preschools and retirement settings  throughout their greater community.

The following Pre- Production and Production Play outline is written for and offered to all schools to use to produce their own 'How Long Stalk Became a Flower' play presentation. At a future date I can offer a more in person supportive role for teachers and students at various schools. For now, I will focus on schools in the East Van community, where I can hone my own production skills. However, if there are schools in the Metro Vancouver region that would like to present the play to their own students, I can present the story to teachers and children with a basic read the story, direction and production plan  to begin their own productions. Also, the 'Main and Secondary Character' costumes may be borrowed for the dress rehearsal and performance play when prebooked and available. The only cost would be a small token monetary gift for time and gas to present story, and drop off and pick up of costumes.

*Schools are welcome to make all their own props and regalia as well.

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Procedure:

Stage 1: Together, the students, teacher/s and, or, me will meet to find out what children would like to be a part of the production. Teacher/myself will introduce and read the story 'How Long Stalk Became a Flower'; then give background to the characters and their roles. Teacher/myself will introduce the recorded video of the daycare production; hand out script; We'll find out who would like to act, create the set, do the sound etc. Once the creative roles are established, we will begin to rehearse and build the set background, props, and costumes.

 Stage 2: Teacher and class rehearse throughout the week. I return/or visit through online app, once a week minimum to help support; to paint backdrop and props, work with actors' group and production crew.

I can also help network, connect and ask local Highschool Drama classes to come in and give young actors some acting pointers. 

 Stage 3: Rehearse with basic prop settings until students feel confident, they know the play and are ready for the performance.

 Stage 4: 2-3 dress rehearsals with full prop setting.

Stage Production Set:

☼ I can and will help students design and build their set.

☼ I can and will help facilitate and support student artists to paint a forest background of trees, sun and flowers from cardboard, material and wood.

Ꚛ I have already created the main and secondary regalia costumes for the production play. Students can use this set of wardrobes until they make their own if the school would like to present the play as an going yearly production. I will help students create the animal character costumes.

☼  Regalia Dress: Main Character Archetypal Dress: students can supply the tops, pants and or skirts to go with the regalia ponchos; or purchase tops, pants and skirts from a second-hand store.

 
Main Character Archetypal Dress

☼ Long Stalk poncho and headdress (yellow top and green pants)

☼ Mother Earth poncho and headdress (indigo top and dark green skirt)

☼ Father Skyponcho and headdress (light blue top and dark blue pants)

☼ Moon poncho and headdress (white top and white skirt)

☼ Grandfather Sun poncho and headdress (yellow top and yellow pants)

☼ Rainbow Princess Guardian poncho and headdress (white top and light purple skirt)

☼ Great Spirit Guardian of the Rainbow Flower Kingdom (white top and black pants)

Secondary Character Dress:

 ☽ Grass poncho and headdress (green top and green pants)

☽ Pond poncho and headdress (light blue top and light blue pants)

☽ Duck poncho and headdress (orange top and yellow pants)

☽ Frog poncho and headdress (light green top and dark green pants)

Third Character Dress:

Ꚛ Red Flower headdress (red top, skirt or pants)

Ꚛ Orange Flower headdress (orange top, skirt or pants)

Ꚛ Yellow Flower headdress (yellow top, skirt or pants)

Ꚛ Green Flower headdress (green top, skirt or pants)

Ꚛ Blue Flower headdress (blue top, skirt or pants)

Ꚛ Indigo Flower headdress (indigo top, skirt or pants)

Ꚛ Purple Flower headdress (purple top, skirt or pants)

Fourth Character Dress:

∞ 5 Butterfly antennae and vest with wings (5 different solid-colored tops, 5 white pants)

∞ 5 Dragonfly antennae and vest with wings (5 multi-colored tops, 5 black pants)

∞ 5 Bumblebee antennae and vest with wings (5 yellow tops, 5 black pants)