Teaching artist Peter Michael Marino demonstrates how to put on a show using items found around the home to create characters, a set, and props.

Vocabulary You Will Learn:

• Character - The people or animals your play is about
• Prop - The objects used by the characters in a play
• Set - The pieces onstage that show where and when the play takes place
• Director - The artist who puts all the pieces of a show together onstage

Materials You Will Need:

• Items from around your home that can be used as characters, props, and set pieces for the show that you create

How to Put On Your Own Show

1. First, decide what story you want to tell in your show. Do you want to tell a story you already know, like Little Red Riding Hood, or make up your own story?
2. Once you’ve decided on your story, you need to find objects that will become your characters. You can use puppets, stuffed animals, or toys, or other objects in your home that resemble the characters. You can also find costume pieces if you are going to play the characters yourself!
3. Now that you have your characters, it’s time to create your set. What objects can you use to create the environment where your play takes place? If you’re doing Little Red Riding Hood, what can you use to create the forest and the grandmother’s house? Maybe some straws or pipe cleaners for trees, and a shoebox for the house?
4. When your set is complete, think about if you need any props to tell your story. You could find a basket for Little Red or objects to place around the grandmother’s home. Find anything you’d like to use as props and add them to your set.

5. Now it’s time to become a director and decide how you’re going to stage your show! Will you play all the parts yourself or cast friends and family members to be in the show with you? Rehearse the show a few times as you prepare to share with your audience. 
6. Next, you’ll decide where in your home you will stage your show. Think about where you could set up a curtain, if you’d like to, and where you could incorporate lights to shine on your staging area.
7. Finally, it’s time to stage your show! Think about who you’d like to invite to be your audience. You can create tickets for them or put up posters around your house or neighborhood to let people know about the show. Once the audience is assembled, it’s time to perform your show!

In this video, Peter demonstrates how to put on your own show using items found around your home to create the characters, set, and props. If you want to go even further, think about these questions: 

• What other stories can you think of to put on as a show? If you did a story you already know, can you put your own spin on it to make it a little different? Or can you dream up your own story entirely?
• In this lesson we got to try being actors, directors, and set designers. Can you try being a playwright and writie down the lines for your show? 
• What different spaces in your home can you use as a stage? How is your show different when you stage it in your living room, versus your kitchen, versus your backyard?
• Something else you can experiment with adding to your show is music and sound effects. Can you add a song to the beginning or end of the show? Are there moments where you could add a sound effect, either a recorded one or one you make with your own voice?

Accessibility

Don't forget that you can turn on "Closed Captioning" to view the YouTube video with English captions.

More about the Teaching Artist

Peter Michael Marino is a New York City native who has worked extensively as a producer, director, writer, and performer, reaching audiences around the world. Pete has been named a Pandemic Performance Pioneer for his interactive, family-friendly digital comedy, “Show Up, Kids!” and the digital toy theater experience, “Planet of the Grapes.” He’s a teacher of all ages in comedy and a two-time recipient of the Backstage Readers’ Choice Award for Favorite NYC Comedy Teacher. www.petermmarino.com

Kennedy Center Education provides resources and experiences that inspire, excite, and empower students and young artists, plus the tools and connections to help educators incorporate the arts into classrooms and learning spaces of all types.

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Generous support for educational programs at the Kennedy Center is provided by the U.S. Department of Education.

Gifts and grants to educational programs at the Kennedy Center are provided by The Paul M. Angell Family Foundation; Bank of America; Capital One; The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation; Carnegie Corporation of New York; The Ednah Root Foundation; Genesis Inspiration Foundation; Harman Family Foundation; William R. Kenan, Jr. Charitable Trust; the Kimsey Endowment; The Kiplinger Foundation; Laird Norton Family Foundation; Lois and Richard England Family Foundation; Dr. Gary Mather and Ms. Christina Co Mather; The Markow Totevy Foundation; Dr. Gerald and Paula McNichols Foundation; The Morningstar Foundation; Myra and Leura Younker Endowment Fund; The Irene Pollin Audience Development and Community Engagement Initiatives;

Prince Charitable Trusts; Dr. Deborah Rose and Dr. Jan A. J. Stolwijk; Rosemary Kennedy Education Fund; The Embassy of the United Arab Emirates; The Victory Foundation; The Volgenau Foundation; Jackie Washington; GRoW @ Annenberg and Gregory Annenberg Weingarten and Family; and generous contributors to the Abe Fortas Memorial Fund and by a major gift to the fund from the late Carolyn E. Agger, widow of Abe Fortas. Additional support is provided by the National Committee for the Performing Arts..

The content of these programs may have been developed under a grant from the U.S. Department of Education but does not necessarily represent the policy of the U.S. Department of Education. You should not assume endorsement by the federal government.