In 2007, I made costumes for the Rocky Mountain Theater for Kids. After pulling together approximately 110 costumes in 8 weeks, I realized that it’s REALLY not what I want to do any more. Though it was fun to find out how well I’d retained the skills I learned in undergraduate school and honed in various professional costume shops, it is grueling work to crank out dalmatian after peasant after fairy costume.
Now, I am writing plays instead of costuming them, which I greatly prefer. It’s hard to find short plays for twenty-five 4 to 7-year-olds, many of whom can’t read. It’s really a kick in the pants to take favorite old stories and make them come alive (with the help of a herd of mini-thespians and an incredibly talented director). My contract with the theater allows me to keep the copyrights, with the caveat that I don’t sell the plays to anyone else in the Denver/Boulder metro area.
I also adapted my book, Dragon Dilemma into a play for the Shoestring Children’s Theater, and have written a Christmas play for the Blue Sage Center for the Arts.
All-in-all, I have to say it’s a rewarding sideline, not to mention tons of fun!
Hi Pat,
I got sucked over to your site from your books4children post. Cool. It’s been fun seeing some of the things you are up to and it reminds me that my first two published pieces were plays for children. This was some time long ago in the dark ages! I can totally agree that costume making is a lot of work. Nancy