Discusses performance art and how it explores traces of emotions, objects, place, and memory in a collage involving all of the arts. Argues that its impact depends upon performers rather than actors and things rather than plots. Discusses performance art as an educational theater activity with young people. (SR)

Responds to Catherine Dezseran's call for children's plays with "serious" subject matter, approves of her ideas, and suggests that more pointed criticism of the contemporary plays she mentions would be helpful to writers of children's plays. (JC)

Considers how in the past 15 years, with renewed interest in women writers and education for girls, there has been a revival of interest in the Theatre of Education, a large, coherent body of plays for children written in Europe and America between 1750 and 1830. Discusses plays written for children from the 1500s to the early 1900s. (SG)

Asserts that there is a need for more empirical research in the area of theatre for young audiences. Discusses myths about empirical research. (MS)

States that although many theater producers assume that child audiences empathize and identify with stage heroes during performances, some do not believe children can or should verbalize their private empathetic experiences. Presents results from a study of grade school children that challenges theoretical assumptions about emotional learning…

States that the special place that the Mickey Mouse Theater and its leader, Betty Lyman, occupy in the history of the Federal Theater project can best be understood in the economic and political context of the Depression. Concludes that there is little evidence to suggest Lyman's group contributed to the growth of children's theater in Indiana.…

Discusses issues relating to theater literacy from a multicultural perspective. Includes a position statement, an "inclusive" definition of theater, and a list of elements considered essential to a culturally sensitive theater curriculum. (SR)

Reports the processes and results of an evaluation of the Theatre Artists-in-Schools Program of a large school district. Surveys principals, curriculum specialists, teachers, students, theater artists, and parents. Finds that the theater program was perceived as adding to the curriculum, to positive attitudes, and to student achievement in general…

Discusses children's questions about theater (gathered by the author over a 10-year span). Poses more questions and challenges about the responsibilities of children's theater artists and educators. (SR)

Studies perceptions of and responses to a production of Barry Kornhauser's play "This Is Not a Pipe Dream" from second, fourth, and sixth graders and adults. Finds that production styles need to be more explicit and organically tied to actions so that metaphoric themes become more recognizably visible and audible to young untrained…

Synthesizes teachers' evaluations of university productions of theater for children from 1977 to 1995 by analyzing emergent themes and common factors among teachers' perceptions across play content. Compares teachers' interpretations of their students' experiences with children's responses to selected plays to help explain similar and discrepant…

Notes that the data for this study come from a focused inquiry into the hopes and fears of seven university theatre students who anticipated becoming teachers. Concludes that as they explored their past and present experiences, and their future positions as teachers, self-reclamation was at the heart of their stories. (SG)

Defines ideology and representation as manifested in the field of theatre for youth. Discusses these theoretical constructs as they relate to practice in the field. Concludes that the field of theatre for young audiences is under-theorized. Hopes that the symposium has made participants more aware of the role of ideology, representation, and…

Describes how the staff, company, and board of trustees of the Honolulu Theatre for Youth responded when their artistic director contracted AIDS. (MM)

Proposes that a spirit of cooperation between the adult theatre world and children's theatre would be very helpful to both. (MS)