A California mom and screenwriter who is coming to Tampa Bay for a theater camp has also written a field guide for parents on how to bring fine arts back into schools.
Her solution: Think of Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland and put on a show yourself.
Cindy Marcus was alarmed at the lack of fine arts in her son's school, and when the now 10-year-old's teacher asked her to speak to the class about her career as a Disney playwright (Lion King 2) and director, she did him one better. She offered to help the kids put on a show of their own.
She then set about getting other parents to volunteer their time and students to use their creativity. In the end, they helped a grateful teacher broaden his classroom curriculum.
She chronicles her learning curve and the rookie parents, many of whom had never stepped foot on a stage, in Playdate: A Parent's and Teacher's Guide to Putting on a Play ($19.95, Meriwether Pub). It also gives tips on how to choose a play or write your own, design simple sets and costumes, plan rehearsals, and recruit parent volunteers.
"I really believe this is an awesome thing for a parent to do. It really just takes someone who is patient and loves being with kids," Marcus said in a phone interview from her traveling theater camp in Missouri. She sets up shop here at a summer acting camp July 12 through Aug. 1 at the Francis Wilson Playhouse in Clearwater.
The experience wasn't terribly time intensive, she said, because parents would take turns and pick a subject they loved and teach one or two 30-minute sessions.
She Googled the term "theater games" for a quick guide to holding an improv class. They gave the kids the script to the classic Orson Welles radio drama War of the Worlds and let them perform an in-class radio show.
"If you stay open you'll find the kids will take you on the journey," Marcus said. "All of a sudden you are transported to magical places with them."
So much drama
The three-week Teen Acting Camp at the Frances Wilson Playhouse in Clearwater begins July 12 for ages 11 and up. It is on weekdays 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., and there will be three performances July 31 and Aug. 1. Tuition is $400 for new students and $375 for returning students, and some scholarships are available. (727) 446-1360, franciswilson playhouse.org.
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