Aiming to give families the experience of travel while breaking out of the boxed-in COVID feeling, the investment is only $70 per family and includes one box mailed to the household, but more boxes can be mailed to the same household for $16 each. The team promises that the experience will evoke screams of laughter from everyone and teach very valuable lessons. Proceeds from this fundraiser/production will benefit the Dallas Children’s Theater Brighter Days Sustainability Campaign and provide much-needed support to help DCT continue offering virtual experiences during these COVID times and also help the organization prepare for a return to in-person performances.

Running at 70 minutes, with a limit of 25 families participating in each performance, MY FARAWAY ADVENTURE KIT is perfect for ages 4-10. Immersive and interactive, it is meant to be enjoyed as a family, with at least one adult present. Beginning on Friday, November 6^th, MY FAR AWAY ADVENTURE KIT performances will be running every weekend in November and spots during the 20 shows can be reserved at dct.org/adventure. In a recent test run, kids described the experience as fun, cool, adventurous, and epic!

Internationally renowned clown artists and DCT favorites, Dick Monday and Tiffany Riley (better known as Slappy and Monday,) are excited to take families on this super-secret globetrotting mission. “We are so honored to be doing this project with our friends at DCT,” said Tiffany Riley. “Whether in-person or online, DCT works hard to inspire creativity in children, and we’re thrilled to be a part of that team, and besides, we could all use an out-of-the-box adventure right now, and this one is going to be loads of fun.”

Dick Monday added, “I know people have experienced a lot of Zoom lately, but we promise you, the show (and the box full of clues and toys) will be so worth it.” Monday concluded, “Plus, you’re investing in keeping the arts and children at the forefront. How could you go wrong?”

Slappy and Monday have been staples in the lobby before almost every sensory-friendly performances for several years now. Riley and Monday are the co-founders of Laughter League, a non-profit often focused on spreading laughter in places that need it most. They’ve acquired a new fan-following among DCT regulars through their hilarious antics during DCT’s virtual Brain Breaks and are looking forward to taking children on a journey around the world!

DCT’s Senior Director of Communications and Philanthropy Sandra Session-Robertson said that since the shutdown, the organization has been looking for a feasible entertainment experience that was somewhat comparable to what audiences get when they come see a live show. “While nothing can replace the reward of seeing one of our live shows, we look forward to seeing loyal patrons again in this format. And it is a fun way to raise the funds we need to get back in the swing of things since we’re over six months without any ticket proceeds from a DCT show which has always been key to our success.”

The investment for the experience is $70 per family (includes one box; additional boxes $16 each), but larger groups have the opportunity to buy all 25 seats in an exclusive gathering for $2000. DCT’s MY FAR AWAY ADVENTURE KIT makes a great treat for a class; neighborhood friends or a way to bring together family and friends from anywhere in the country.

Show Times are Central Standard (CST)

1. Friday, November 6 at 7P
2. Saturday, November 7 at 10A
3. Saturday, November 7 at 5P
4. Sunday, November 8 at 2P
5. Sunday, November 8 at 5P
6. Friday, November 13 at 7P
7. Saturday, November 14 at 10A
8. Saturday, November 14 at 5P
9. Sunday, November 15 at 2P
10. Sunday, November 15 at 5P
11. Friday, November 20 at 7P
12. Saturday, November 21 at 10A
13. Saturday, November 21 at 5P
14. Sunday, November 22 at 2P
15. Sunday, November 22 at 5P
16. Friday, November 27 at 7P
17. Saturday, November 28 at 10A
18. Saturday, November 28 at 5P
19. Sunday, November 29 at 2P
20. Sunday, November 29 at 5P

Lead sponsors for this project are Frost Bank and TXU Energy.

The post Enjoy a Virtual Trip Around the World with Dallas Children’s Theater first appeared on Tanglewood Moms.

In the special feature, Milo the Mouse explores the lonely halls of Dallas Children’s Theater and pines for the hustle bustle that usually fills the lobby.  He makes his way to Lyle Huchton’s costume shop where they Zoom with Doctor Mora, who provides some insight into the world of pulmonology, and on the importance of wearing a mask. At the end of the video, Milo receives his own mask, and encourages children to send in their designs.

In the spirit of good health, cooperation and creativity, Dallas Children’s Theater has invited all interested young people to create their own mask before August 16^th. Whether they choose to simply draw it or sew it, anyone can be a part of this creative exercise. All children entering kindergarten through grade twelve are eligible to enter DCT’s MASKerade Design and Decorating Contest.

Submissions will be presented on dct.org, DCT’s website, as well as on other social media platforms.  Winners will be announced during a special Zoom event on Saturday, August 29.

In past summers, DCT has had several different design contests that allow children to express their creativity including costume design, hat design and others. This year, DCT is excited to be helping everyone create unique and original masks during quarantine, a keepsake that will surely be a relic of the moment.

Students grades K-12 can make their creative ideas a reality by following these 6 steps:

1. Pull out your favorite colors, papers, pens, pencils, paints, glitter, glue, fabric, magazine clippings – any medium you like!
2. Look at DCT’s Inspiration List below.  Choose one of the categories from our list of different mask styles or come up with your own:

•  Sporty (favorite sport or sports team)
• Princess
• Robot
• Homecoming Mum
• Red Carpet/Black Tie
• Kentucky Derby Bonnet
• Heritage
• Pride (LGBTQ)
• Storytime (favorite picture, storybook, or novel)
• Circus
• Texas
• Anime/Cosplay
• Broadway/Musicals
• Halloween
• Crazy Quilt (needle work, embroidery, quilting, cross stich)
• Celebration
• Seasons

3. Create! Design and make or draw your original mask.
4. Send a photo of your finished mask or a copy of the design to family@dct.org
5. All entries must be RECEIVED by 5pm on Sunday, August 16th.
6. Winners will be announced on Friday, August 28.

Visit dct.org/mask for complete details and tips.

The post Milo the Mouse and Dallas Children’s Theater Team Up in Mask Design Contest! first appeared on Tanglewood Moms.

Through October 27, Dallas Children’s Theater is presenting, Beauty and the Beast, and I’ve had the privilege of being part of it. You’ll catch glimpses of me throughout, first playing the Enchantress who casts the spell which makes everything beastly; then as a villager wielding shovels and baskets; then, finally, as a PLATE who is very intent on NOT knocking Belle down during “Be Our Guest” #lifegoals #pleaseLord.

I get to (literally) pull back the curtain a teeny bit for you right here. I hope the magic is only made more, well, magical, and that it’s not like seeing Santa Claus buying toys at Target or something.

Theater first starts with a bunch of strangers in a room reading words off a page. No costumes, sets, lights. Not really acting, even. Just Styrofoam QT cups on plastic tables, hands in laps, feeling the words in our mouths. Then the layers are added, onion-like: memorization, blocking. Then the set is added, then various costume pieces (Lumiere’s big ol’ candle hands made an early appearance). Then you shine bright lights on the whole thing, and…well, you get the idea.

Left: Lumiere, Cogsworth, Maurice and the Beast work out blocking for the confrontation scene during the first week of rehearsal. Right: The following week, same scene, working a bit in costume on the set.

Rehearsal also involves a lot of waiting. Waiting for your scene to be blocked, waiting for the stage manager and director to time a sound cue, waiting for YOUR cue. And while you wait, you review your lines, music, and Facebook status (clearly). But you’re also watching the brilliance of your fellow castmates in real time, all while trying to read the text on the ironic t-shirts they wear to rehearsal. Which is HARD since they’re always frolicking around.

Left: Edward Houser (the Beast) watches in the wings as Will Stotts (Gaston) and Ethan Mullins (LeFou) wait for a light cue to be set. Right: Isaiah Harris (playing the Baker/Monsieur/Whisk) is ready.

But once the waiting and watching are over, it’s hard to describe the jolt you get from finally putting on an actual costume and running the show without stops and starts. In Beauty and the Beast, especially, costumes are king, and DCT costume designer Lyle Huchton and his team (plus the lovelies over at Harris Costumes in Fort Worth — I see you, Corey!) are some of the best in the biz. So long, lululemon leggings, hello hoop skirts!

Left: I get to wear curls! Right top: I’m the (partial) plate here, standing next to the (partial) Wardrobe, Grace West. Right bottom: Wigs waiting for heads.

Once costumes, hair (mucho hair, in my case) and makeup are introduced, we move into the dressing rooms. This is like getting to sit at your new desk on the first day of school! The dressing room is a place to change clothes and shellac baby hairs, but it’s mostly a sisterly hive of honesty and hilarity. We tell each other all about the bad things we ate that day, about our fights with our husbands and boyfriends, about our bloating. It’s a big commiseration love-fest, sprinkled with pep talks and shenanigans. Because we are actors, everything must be as entertaining as possible.

Left: Megan Lagemann helps Camille Jett into her wolf costume. Right: Alyssa Cavazos) grabbing a quick Goldfish for stamina.

It may come as a surprise to you, but actors are not the most important part of a show. Gasp and clutch your pearls! We just get all the attention. In a Disney show — in THIS Disney show, especially — we are building on so much LORE; on the lines and songs and characters made famous by writers and musicians and animators that came well before we were doing JAZZ HANDS. Then we’re made visible by lighting designers, made audible by sound designers, and made believable by production designers, set designers, costume designers, seamstresses, painters, carpenters and a host of backstage crew. But yay, actors! Go, us! Actors win!

Left: Deck Crew Head Maddie Collins reviews her run sheet to make sure set changes are in order. Right top: The lighting crew makes tweaks during tech week. Right bottom: A few of our all-girl backstage crew. They’re masters of quick costume changes, set magic, and prop wrangling!

Every time I’m cast in a show, I consider it a medium-to-astronomical-size miracle. It’s like being summoned to Hogwarts from the realm of Muggles to make magic with the other weirdos. (I got this analogy from Gena Loe, our Babette.) This whole process is truly a feat of logistical diligence, creative effort, and hours of locking details together — with handfuls of fairy dust dumped liberally throughout. It’s a gift to look around at so many committed people and realize, hey! I’m part of this team! I get paid to do this! I better not mess it up, for all that is good and holy!

Be our guest! A huge breath before the kick line, hence the almost-maniacal facial expressions. Photo credit: Karen Almond

I hope you’ll come check us out this month, and bring your kiddos. It’s a tale as old as time — or at least it’s a tale as old as August 26th, when we started rehearsing. For tickets, visit https://www.dct.org/

Julie Rhodes has performed on many Fort Worth stages, including Casa Manana, Circle Theatre, Amphibian Stage Productions, and Stolen Shakespeare Guild. She is mom to Drew (11) and Madeline (8), and to Eloise, the family pug. Visit juliekrhodes.com.

The post Pulling the Curtain Back: Behind the Scenes on Beauty and the Beast first appeared on Tanglewood Moms.