Backyard Summer

By Carol Roh Spaulding
Web Exclusive - June 13, 2008

Since my son turned school age, I have paid for art camp, theater camp, dance camp, culture camp, fiddle camp, science camp, even living history camp. Every year, as I fork over the money for their summertime enrichment, I think back to my own childhood. What happened to the days of Kool-Aid ice cubes on toothpicks, make-believe forts of cardboard and poster paints, leathery-skinned toads hopping across your palm? Sure, day camps are valuable experiences. But part of me suspects there's not much that happens there that our own parents couldn't have managed on their own.

Last year, when I wanted to achieve a better balance between career and family, I asked for reduced hours at work. Reduced hours meant reduced income, and reduced income meant no theater camp. Summer stretched before us like a wide, smooth ribbon of days—it wasn't long before "there's nothing to do" became the refrain. If necessity is the mother of invention, perhaps boredom is the parent of imaginative fun. So what if we had to skip theater camp this year? We could do summer stock in our own backyard.

I confess I have no particular training in the dramatic arts. I'm not great with arts and crafts. I don't even have much experience with groups of school-age children beyond helping out at Sunday school and birthday parties. What I did have going for me was the desire to recreate some of the homespun fun I remember from my own childhood. I wanted high imagination and low pressure. I drew up a basic plan that had enough structure to keep us focused for a week, but enough openness to allow for a little magic.

Here was the original invitation:

First Annual Backyard Theater

Funky fairytales? Ancient legends come to life? Stories from around the world? Who knows what ten creative kids might cook up this summer!

The Kruse family would like to invite you to participate in a backyard theater program this summer where the kids plan, produce, and perform a play using a few props, simple costumes, and a lot of imagination. We hope to keep it simple but also have fun. On the night of the performance families, can bring lawn chairs or blankets and cold picnic food. We will provide lemonade and dessert. Grandparents, friends, neighbors, and others are welcome.

Because lots of you have day camps starting soon, we thought evening hours would work best. We will provide a snack and drink for participants. (We hope to have about ten in all, and will include younger kids, if they wish to be involved in the performance).

Thursday brainstorm ideas through improvisation exercises 6:30-8:30 p.m.

Friday create a play, make a set and costumes "wish list" 6:30-8:30 p.m.

Saturday practice the play and design the costumes 3:30-5:30 p.m..

Sunday practice the play and design the set 3:30-5:30 p.m.

Monday rehearse the play 6:30-8:30 p.m.

Tuesday performance! 6:30-8:30 p.m..

We would like you to make a commitment to coming to every session you can, so that the play is a success. We would also appreciate donations of set and costume items from our wish list. (Every item with a name on it will be returned).

We really hope you can join us!

Parents: Let us know if you would like to be involved.