Students create plays about West African spider
By Nathaniel Weixel Contributing Writer

Hudson - Writing and performing a play is a challenge that takes time and commitment. Children participating in the Arts Alliance Stage Two Summer Drama Workdays shop learned that first-hand when they performed three original plays at Hudson High School Aug. 10.

The children, who ranged from those entering first grade to those entering fifth, were split up into three groups and each had only 10 to write a script, design costumes and rehearse their play about Anansi the spider, a character in West African lore who is also written about in children's books.

Rosemary Metcalf, who directed one of the plays, said she chose Anansi because she remembered reading them when she was young, and felt the stories were fun and they teach children important lessons. The stories were also vividly descriptive, so they had the potential for creative costumes and sets.

Metcalf said putting a play together in 10 days was a challenge, but one that the participants were up to.

"The kids stepped up to it," she said. "They are so creative, have so much imagination."

Metcalf said watching the three plays come together after a very limited rehearsal time was fun.

"It all came together," she said. "It was really cool to see the collaboration take place."

While some children knew who Anansi was, Metcalf said, everyone got to learn the lessons Anansi taught, like being patient and being comfortable with who you are. She said the kids also learned about theater.

"They got to use the creativity they had to design costumes and sets, we discussed design issues, and they used what they learned about theater to put on these plays," she said.