Windham Center Stage Theater children’s show returns

By Elizabeth Richards

This weekend Windham Center Stage Theater will present "Madagascar Jr.," their first children’s show since the COVID-19 pandemic hit and safety is top priority for the mother-son leadership team who are both excited to have kids back on stage. 

“COVID has definitely made things a little bit more challenging this year,” said Producer Andrew Shepard. “That being said, we’re all that more determined to hold this production and be able to have kids on the stage.”

Precautions have included everyone being masked all the time, monitoring temperatures and who is in the rehearsal space, and being proactive on canceling rehearsals if many students had been close contacts at school, he said. There is also a significantly smaller cast this year.

In the past, Director Laurie Shepard said they’ve had up to 100 or more kids in two casts for children’s shows.  While there are still two casts, each has only 20 students this year. And while in past years, casts have shared props and costumes, this year, nothing is shared. 

“Safety is our number one priority.  Everything is separated,” she said. Because of this, she said, they decided on more simplistic costumes, which added creativity for the students.  

Without a glamorous costume, Laurie Shepard said, performers have to really use their body, and become their character. 

“That’s an extra layer of challenge for these guys,” she said.

Andrew Shepard says that while limiting cast size means not as many children can participate this year.

“Every kid really gets their moment to shine on stage,” he said.

Many have multiple roles and they’re able to try new things. 

“It’s really given a lot of kids agency in the production, in really feeling like they’re not one of so many but part of a cohesive group, which you can really only get with a smaller cast,” he said.

Flexibility and creativity have been very important this year.

According to Andrew Shepard, they recognize the importance of the fact that kids haven’t had the ability to just be kids with each other the past couple of years. 

“In previous years we may have really focused on the artistic pieces of the show. Here, we’re just excited for kids to be able to appear on stage together for the first time in a few years,” he said. “Regardless of COVID or any other hurdle that comes about, we’re seeing this as such a huge success because at the end of the day we’re able to have 40 kids be able to perform and grow as artists and learn about the theater process.”

Laurie Shepard said they’ve had to be flexible and creative, using Zoom for both auditions and rehearsal when necessary.  A lot of people helped make that happen, she said. It’s true community theater, she said.

“We just all come together to make this production come alive and bring everyone to Madagascar,” she said.

An exciting component of the production this year has been the educational component, Andrew Shepard said. Not only are they working with the children in the cast, but they have several high school mentees as well.

This opportunity to bring in high school students and extend their education to the production side of theater has been incredible, he said. 

Laurie Shepard said some students were eighth graders when Pinocchio was closed after its first weekend due to COVID in March 2020.  Though they aged out of being able to perform in the children’s show, some of those students are now acting as student director, student choreographer, and student stage managers.  There are also two artists who are bringing her vision to life in painting the sets. 

“What an experience to be able to mentor high school students,” Laurie said.  “We’re doing much more than putting on a production. We are mentoring students and embracing people where they are. That is huge,” she said.

This show is helping bring back some normalcy, Laurie Shepard said, and letting kids know that even during a pandemic the arts are alive and well.

“It’s not just art. It’s about growth, it’s about friendship, it’s about compromise, teamwork. All of those things are super important, and we can still achieve that even during a pandemic. It’s truly amazing,” she said.

The show opens Friday, March 4 and runs for three weekends, with shows on Friday and Saturday nights and matinees on Saturday and Sunday. Each cast performs twice in a weekend, swapping which performances they do each weekend. Both audience and cast will be masked, there are only 60 seats available for each show, and family groups will be seated together then distanced from other audience members, Laurie Shepard said. 

“That’s an extra layer of precaution that will keep everybody safe,” she said.

The first two shows have already sold out, Laurie said. Tickets can be purchased online at http://wcst.theater/. <