MY CHARACTER AND COSTUME IDEA!

My character is 'Little Red Riding Hood'.

We are not using the original 'Little Red Riding Hood',  am making my character more modernised. 

costume ideas for my character

 I choose this look because it's more modern and easy to achieve, buy or make. 


The Moral of the Story is that a child should not speak to strangers because it is dangerous and there might not be good intentions. When people use animals to portray good and evil in a story it is because children are driven by their imagination and animals intrigues children because they are easy to be recognise











Background Check:

"Little Red Riding Hood", or "Little Red Ridinghood", also known as "Little Red Cap" or simply "Red Riding Hood", is a European fairy tale about a young girl and a Big Bad Wolf. Its origins can be traced back to the 10th century by several European folk tales, including one from Italy called The False Grandmother (Italian: La finta nonna), later written among others by Italo Calvino in the Italian Folktales collection; the best known versions were written by Charles Perrault and Brothers Grimm. The story has been changed considerably in various retellings and subjected to numerous modern adaptations and readings. It is number 333 in the Aarne-Thompson classification system for folktales. Variations of the story have developed, incorporating various cultural beliefs and regional dialects into the story. An example of this is "Kawoni's Journey Across the Mountain: A Cherokee Little Red Riding Hood", which introduces Cherokee myths and language into the traditional story. Another such example is "Petite Rouge Riding Hood", which approaches the story from a Cajun perspective.  

2 children theatre company.

Chicken Ched.

The reason it's called chicken  Shed, is because years ago the people who owned the company were very desperate to find a place and the own asked a friend if there was a place they could use just to start off the company, and the woman said yes sure and it was an old chicken shed that when they entered it still had some chicken feathers.

I found out that Chicken Shed is open to everyone from every background, they like to make people comfortable and confident with each other. Moreover they create a space where everyone feels safe, they listen to each other and also listen to their opinions, so that they could feel ownership.

They also have a group called tale from the Chicken Shed. they create children theatre for the age 0 to 6 years they use a lot off puppetry in animal form that's also in bright colors and bright colours like yellow, orange and red to attract the children. they also uses a lot of freeze frames to tell stories. They also uses boxes painted in different colours as the background.

Here's photos of the companies:

 
    

This company is the reason i decided to use bright colours and puppetry in my piece about the 'Fox' and the 'Crow, because i realise kids are attracted by bright colour it really capture their attention. their work is really unique and the way they uses colour really defined who they are, and how they just want the kids to enjoy them self and have fun while watching the play. They really engage with the children and make them have a good time, and i feel like that the type of recreating i want to get, and experience the same reaction from the children.

They really inspire me because they also go to hospital and place for thoses who are not able to access their regular workshops.

vedios




The Unicorn Theatre:

The Unicorn Theatre was found by Caryl Jenner, as a touring company in '1947' with a commitment to give children a valuable and often first ever experience of quality theatre.They strive to push the boundaries of imagination in everything they do; by welcoming families, schools. and young people for an unforgettable theatrical experience that will expand their horizon, and change their perspective, and  challenge how they will see and understand each other.
 

The unicorn theatre made a little trailer of one, of the pieces they made and they uses puppetry made out of cardboard, to make the scenes. moreover they uses shadow and lighting  to create a story while the cast members moving the puppets made out of boxes around. They also uses projection of raindrops in the background,and sound effects.

Here's the trailer i found:



This piece give me an amazing idea for one of the story i shoose, called Tom and Jerry. we could use a white background and use our human characters to portray the Cat and the Rat, while there shadow is playing on the white background.

this will really be funny because the children will actually think their get hit or they are really fighting when it just their shadows moving. and puppetry really attract childrens, makes enhances their imagination. I really enjoyed this trailer, because it was very creative, they really think out of the box.

3 childre stories and how they could be used for our piece and why they are suitable.

 During my research into possible children's theatre stories for development, i decided to use.
The Fox and Crow 
Why i find this story suitable for Children Theatre .

I think we could use this story because the fox is trying to trick the crow. It shows that there is a "good guy" and a "bad guy", which is very clear to understand and that makes it suitable for young children. Animals  engage children because they are intriguing and easily recognisable, this is because children are driven by morality,it's easier to use animals to describe good and bad because if you use human it makes it a bit complicated for them. because children know that their loyalty should lie with the character who stands for what is good and right.

This story is about deception and manipulation, human behaviours that the children should recognise as wrong. My idea for this play would be to take the children on an interactive theatrical journey, one in which the children are encouraged by by the narrator to respond to the 'bad' characters through audience participation, calling upon the tradition of pantomime. I would also like to integrate French in to the piece telling parts of the story in basic french, encouraging the development of another language in the piece as the play progresses. This would make this an educational experience also. 

Costume and scenes ideas: we could have a group of three people,one person to play the "Crow", dress in (black) and  the other person to play the "fox", dress in (orange) and a narrator. The narrator would be telling the story to the children, whilst controlling the people acting out the "fox" and the "Crow" as a puppet. Therefore whilst controlling the fox and the crow. In the background, we could have a bright green tree, with blue sky and a shiny sun to make the colours more effective for the children. Moreover a (black) platform for the person who acting as the crow to sit or stand on to show the heights difference from the"Crow" and the "Fox" .

Here a video i watch on youtube about the crow and the fox.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ataamAg4X8
The Fox and Crow, in French and English.
English
Master Crow perched on a tree, 
was holding a cheese in his beak. 
Master Fox, enticed by the smell 
said something about this language:!. 
"Well, Hello Mister Crow
! How beautiful you are beautiful you seem to me 
without lying, if your song 
is like your plumage, 
You Are the Phoenix of the hosts of these woods. " 
At these words the Raven feels no joy; 
And to show his beautiful voice, 
He opens his beak wide, lets his prey fall. 
The Fox grabs it, and said, "My good Sir, 
Learn that every flatterer 
Lives at the expense of those who heed
This lesson is well worth a cheese, probably" 
The Crow, ashamed and embarrassed, 
Swore, A little late, that he would no longer be taken.
French
Maître Corbeau, sur un arbre perché,

Tenait en son bec un fromage.
Maître Renard, par l'odeur alléché,
Lui tint à peu près ce langage :
"Hé ! bonjour, Monsieur du Corbeau.
Que vous êtes joli ! que vous me semblez beau !
Sans mentir, si votre ramage
Se rapporte à votre plumage,
Vous êtes le Phénix des hôtes de ces bois."
A ces mots le Corbeau ne se sent pas de joie ;
Et pour montrer sa belle voix,
Il ouvre un large bec, laisse tomber sa proie.
Le Renard s'en saisit, et dit : "Mon bon Monsieur,
Apprenez que tout flatteur
Vit aux dépens de celui qui l'écoute :
Cette leçon vaut bien un fromage, sans doute. "
Le Corbeau, honteux et confus,
Jura, mais un peu tard, qu'on ne l'y prendrait plus.

A background check.                                                       Found on wikipedia. 

The Fox and the Crow is the second fable of Book i, of Jean de La Fontaine located in the first collection of Fables , published for the first time in 1668 . There are two sources for this fable: the version of Aesop ( "The Fox and the Crow") and the Latin fabulist Phaedrus (Macedonia - 10 BC. - To 54 AD. , Author of twenty-three fables imitated by Aesop). The version of Phaedra (Book I, 13) was translated into French by Sacy in 1647.

It was set to music by Maurice Delage in 1931 .

The Fox and the Crow is one of Aesop's Fables, numbered 124 in the Perry Index. There are early Latin and Greek versions and the fable may even have been portrayed on an ancient Greek vase. The story is used as a warning against listening to flattery.

Tom and Jerry.

This story is about two animal, a Mouse and a Cat, who are always competing against each other, however both are after two different, (goals) "Tom" the cat is more focused on catching Jerry. And Jerry the "Rat" is more focused on finding his cheese. these two friends are always in a conflict with each other, and ending up being friends again.

Why i find this story suitable.
I find this story suitable for children theatre because, it's funny and it have a lot of actions and conflicts, that the kids are going to find hilarious and really intriguing, because they are acting as animals. the moral behind this story is that even if your two different people, with different personality you don't have to compete with each other. and i find this good for the children because it shows them that it's okay to be different, but love and support one and other.

we can achieve this by making the characters more modern, by keeping their appearance as animals
but instead of making the sound like a Mouse or a Cat, make them speak as humans Moreover we could also use bright colours to make the scene more effective. and show the joy and the danger the characters are in. we could also make Tom have an IPhone to track "Jerry", whilst making his way or journey, to find his cheese. Moreover we could end the scenes by making "Tom", have Jerry cheese and "Jerry" have tom phone.So that they could come together to return each other belongings, and end up listing to music on tom phone and sharing Jerry cheese. this also shows the children that sharing is caring. and sometimes friends is all you have.

here's some videos of Tom and Jerry.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-h_IOcC9xsg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qer1RH_X4Io

Background check.                                                 found on wikipedia. 

 Tom and Jerry is an American animated series of short films created in 1940, by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera. It centers on a rivalry between its two title characters, Tom and Jerry, and many recurring characters, based around slapstick comedy.

In its original run, Hanna and Barbera produced 114 Tom and Jerry shorts for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer from 1940 to 1958. During this time, they won seven Academy Awards for Animated Short Film, tying for first place with Walt Disney's Silly Symphonies with the most awards in the category. After the MGM cartoon studio closed in 1958, MGM revived the series with Gene Deitch directing an additional 13 Tom and Jerry shorts for Rembrandt Films from 1961 to 1962. Tom and Jerry then became the highest-grossing animated short film series of that time, overtaking Looney Tunes. Chuck Jones then produced another 34 shorts with Sib-Tower 12 Productions between 1963 and 1967. 

The Grinch Stole Christmas.

How The Grinch Stole Christmas, by Dr. Suess

Every Who Down in Whoville Liked Christmas a lot...
But the Grinch,Who lived just north of Whoville, Did NOT!
The Grinch hated Christmas! The whole Christmas season!
Now, please don't ask why. No one quite knows the reason.
It could be his head wasn't screwed on just right.
It could be, perhaps, that his shoes were too tight.
But I think that the most likely reason of all,
May have been that his heart was two sizes too small.
Whatever the reason, His heart or his shoes,
He stood there on Christmas Eve, hating the Whos,
Staring down from his cave with a sour, Grinchy frown,
At the warm lighted windows below in their town.
For he knew every Who down in Whoville beneath,
Was busy now, hanging a mistletoe wreath.
"And they're hanging their stockings!" he snarled with a sneer,
"Tomorrow is Christmas! It's practically here!"
Then he growled, with his Grinch fingers nervously drumming,
"I MUST find some way to stop Christmas from coming!"
For Tomorrow, he knew, all the Who girls and boys,
Would wake bright and early. They'd rush for their toys!
And then! Oh, the noise! Oh, the Noise!
Noise! Noise! Noise!
That's one thing he hated! The NOISE!
NOISE! NOISE! NOISE!
Then the Whos, young and old, would sit down to a feast.
And they'd feast! And they'd feast! And they'd FEAST!
FEAST! FEAST! FEAST!
They would feast on Who-pudding, and rare Who-roast beast.
Which was something the Grinch couldn't stand in the least!
And THEN They'd do something He liked least of all!
Every Who down in Whoville, the tall and the small,
Would stand close together, with Christmas bells ringing.
They'd stand hand-in-hand. And the Whos would start singing!
They'd sing! And they'd sing! And they'd SING!
SING! SING! SING!
And the more the Grinch thought of this Who ChristmasSing,
The more the Grinch thought, "I must stop this whole thing!"
"Why, for fifty-three years I've put up with it now!"
"I MUST stop this Christmas from coming! But HOW?"
Then he got an idea! An awful idea!
THE GRINCH GOT A WONDERFUL, AWFUL IDEA!
"I know just what to do!" The Grinch laughed in his throat.
And he made a quick Santy Claus hat and a coat.
And he chuckled, and clucked, "What a great Grinchy trick!"
"With this coat and this hat, I look just like Saint Nick!"
"All I need is a reindeer..." The Grinch looked around.
But, since reindeer are scarce, there was none to be found.
Did that stop the old Grinch? No! The Grinch simply said,
"If I can't find a reindeer, I'll make one instead!"
So he called his dog, Max. Then he took some red thread,
And he tied a big horn on the top of his head.
THEN He loaded some bags And some old empty sacks,
On a ramshackle sleigh And he hitched up old Max.
Then the Grinch said, "Giddap!" And the sleigh started down,
Toward the homes where the Whos Lay asnooze in their town.
All their windows were dark. Quiet snow filled the air.
All the Whos were all dreaming sweet dreams without care.
When he came to the first little house on the square.
"This is stop number one," the old Grinchy Claus hissed,
And he climbed to the roof, empty bags in his fist.
Then he slid down the chimney. A rather tight pinch.
But, if Santa could do it, then so could the Grinch.
He got stuck only once, for a moment or two.
Then he stuck his head out of the fireplace flue.
Where the little Who stockings all hung in a row.
"These stockings," he grinned, "are the first things to go!"
Then he slithered and slunk, with a smile most unpleasant,
Around the whole room, and he took every present!
Pop guns! And bicycles! Roller skates! Drums!
Checkerboards! Tricycles! Popcorn! And plums!
And he stuffed them in bags. Then the Grinch, very nimbly,
Stuffed all the bags, one by one, up the chimney!
Then he slunk to the icebox. He took the Whos' feast!
He took the Who-pudding! He took the roast beast!
He cleaned out that icebox as quick as a flash.
Why, that Grinch even took their last can of Who-hash!
Then he stuffed all the food up the chimney with glee.
"And NOW!" grinned the Grinch, "I will stuff up the tree!"
And the Grinch grabbed the tree, and he started to shove,
When he heard a small sound like the coo of a dove.
He turned around fast, and he saw a small Who!
Little Cindy-Lou Who, who was not more than two.
The Grinch had been caught by this tiny Who daughter,
Who'd got out of bed for a cup of cold water.
She stared at the Grinch and said, "Santy Claus, why,”
"Why are you taking our Christmas tree? WHY?"
But, you know, that old Grinch was so smart and so slick,
He thought up a lie, and he thought it up quick!
"Why, my sweet little tot," the fake Santy Claus lied,
"There's a light on this tree that won't light on one side."
"So I'm taking it home to my workshop, my dear."
"I'll fix it up there. Then I'll bring it back here."
And his fib fooled the child. Then he patted her head,
And he got her a drink and he sent her to bed.
And when CindyLou Who went to bed with her cup,
HE went to the chimney and stuffed the tree up!
Then the last thing he took Was the log for their fire!
Then he went up the chimney, himself, the old liar.
On their walls he left nothing but hooks and some wire.
And the one speck of food That he left in the house,
Was a crumb that was even too small for a mouse.
Then He did the same thing To the other Whos' houses
Leaving crumbs Much too small For the other Whos' mouses!
It was quarter past dawn... All the Whos, still a-bed,
All the Whos, still asnooze When he packed up his sled,
Packed it up with their presents! The ribbons! The wrappings!
The tags! And the tinsel! The trimmings! The trappings!
Three thousand feet up! Up the side of Mt. Crumpit,
He rode with his load to the tiptop to dump it!
"PoohPooh to the Whos!" he was grinchishly humming.
"They're finding out now that no Christmas is coming!"
"They're just waking up! I know just what they'll do!"
"Their mouths will hang open a minute or two,
Then the Whos down in Whoville will all cry BooHoo!"
"That's a noise," grinned the Grinch, "That I simply MUST hear!"
So he paused. And the Grinch put his hand to his ear.
And he did hear a sound rising over the snow.
It started in low. Then it started to grow.
But the sound wasn't sad! Why, this sound sounded merry!
It couldn't be so! But it WAS merry! VERY!
He stared down at Whoville! The Grinch popped his eyes!
Then he shook! What he saw was a shocking surprise!
Every Who down in Whoville, the tall and the small,
Was singing! Without any presents at all!
He HADN'T stopped Christmas from coming! IT CAME!
Somehow or other, it came just the same!
And the Grinch, with his grinch-feet ice-cold in the snow,
Stood puzzling and puzzling: "How could it be so?"
"It came with out ribbons! It came without tags!"
"It came without packages, boxes or bags!"
And he puzzled three hours, till his puzzler was sore.
Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before!
"Maybe Christmas," he thought, "doesn't come from a store."
"Maybe Christmas...perhaps...means a little bit more!"
And what happened then? Well...in Whoville they say,
That the Grinch's small heart Grew three sizes that day!
And the minute his heart didn't feel quite so tight,
He whizzed with his load through the bright morning light,
And he brought back the toys! And the food for the feast!
And he, HE HIMSELF! The Grinch carved.

Background:                                              Found on Wikipedia

This is a story that was written by Theodore known as " Dr Seuss" Geisel. The story was written in rhymed verses with illustrations by the author. It's a story about a Grinch, a Grouchy, solitary creature who tried, to put an end to Christmas by stealing Christmas-themed item from houses, near by a town called Whoville on Christmas. however despite everything, all his effort. At the end he returned everything he stole and was a guest of honour at the whos' Christmas dinner.
This story was published as a book by Random House in 1957. The national education association named it one of its teachers ' Top 100 Books for children in 2012 it was ranked number 61 among the " 100 picture Books".

Why i think this is suitable.
I think this story is suitable for children, because it showing the children that stealing is not a good thing to do. Most of the time people steals out of envy, they don't have the things other people have. however it also shows them the repercussion of stealing. Therefore it makes them sad and upset. Finally it teaches them theirs always good in people.