The parents and children had a wonderful time at the recently concluded Children's Theatre Festival at the Shri Ram Centre here.
The plays like 'The Wizard of Oz', 'Gadbad Jhala', 'Sitara', 'The Golden Bangle', 'Lazzy Grasshopper' and 'Par Hame Khelna Hai' were enacted during the four-day theatre fest.
The kids participated in large numbers and their enthusiasm was unmatched.
"Children have a different psychology. They are playful. I ensure the playfulness remains intact while they are performing," says theatre director Susheel Sharma as he talks about how he prepared kids for the stage.
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He adds that it is best to give rhyming dialogues to the kids which they can easily remember.
"While preparing for the show, I ask kids to write their own dialogues. This gives them confidence and also helps improve their writing skills," says theatre director Utpal Jha.
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He also encourages the children to sing to boost their confidence, although being a good singer is not a necessary requirement for his plays.
All these activities were aimed at helping a child express his or her feelings. There were games and exercises that help achieve desired results, even with introverts.
"Children narrated a play they had watched to their parents once they reached home. The catch was they had watched it on the very same day with their parents. This helps understand the attention level of a child," says theatre director Ravi Raj Sagar.
"Working with children is a delight. Their vibrant nature, sharpness and innocence make it a unique experience working with them," he adds while talking about his experience of working with the children.
All three directors work extensively with the children and adults. So, how are children and adults' different?
"Adults argue. They repeatedly ask for logic. Children don't do that. They just do it. More than theatre, adults are interested in films but children bring a sense of innocence to theatre," says Susheel.
He also feels that parents should let their children come out of their shadows to explore their full potential and said theatre helps them achieve that to a great extent.
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