Media It's Not Just a Stage
Here’s a handy guide to some basic stage directions, the most common parts of a theater, and different types of theater spaces
Play at Home
Ten New Short Plays for Young Audiences
Micro-commissioned by the Kennedy Center
The Play at Home project is a collaboration between theaters from across the country as a response to the rapidly changing landscape of the performing arts during this global crisis. The mission of the initiative is simple: to continue to inspire joy and creativity through live theater.
As a part of this collaboration, the Kennedy Center has micro-commissioned theater for young audiences playwrights/creators to write a short play or musical (ten minutes or less) which are now available for free download.
All plays are intended for families or small groups of people to perform together at home. We hope that you and your family will pick a play to produce from your living rooms and if you feel so inclined, share it with us at #playathomeplays.
Visit PlayAtHome.org for more (including plays for grown-up actors!)
The Plays
Mission Possible
by Laurie Brooks
At a birthday party, Tippi, with help from her dog, Scout, is on a mission to get Dylan off his phone and into the fun of pretending.
4 humans
HOLYYYYYYY
HOTTTTTTT
CHEETOSSSSSSS!!!!!!!
by Jose Casas
A mashup of a popular Broadway musical and a kids reality tv show.
7 humans
Night Of The Fire Rain
by Gloria Bond Clunie
Three teens prepare for a right of passage that will change them forever.
4 humans
A Dinner Theatre
by Idris Goodwin
Around a dinner table a family of four shares the most interesting and possibly untrue things that happened to them today.
4 humans
7th Street Echo
by Paige Hernandez
Does Candela have it what takes to become a bucket drumming/go-go legend?
2 humans
Scary Adventure Kid Detective (title provided by five-year-old son Moe)
by Finegan Kruckemeyer
An old-school detective (who also happens to be a bored kid in a big coat) stumbles upon a mystery that'll eat at him for years - or at least until lunchtime.
4 humans
The Greatest 10 Minute Musical Ever Written!
by Timothy Allen McDonald & Rob Rokicki
Albert Einstein, the Mousetrap Family Singers, Doris the Dancing Dodo Bird, Marie Antoinette, Oprah Winfrey and more gather for the ultimate musical talk show.
15 humans
Agent 88
by Brian Quijada
World Class Secret Agent 88 is physically and mentally tested by his arch nemesis in this ACTION adventure play!
3 humans
Yellowfish: A True Tale About the Luckiest, Young Pirate in the World
by Alvaro Saar Rios
A young and very lucky pirate takes command of a ship in search of treasure.
4 humans
The New Next-Door Neighbor
by Suzan Zeder & Jenn Hartmann Luck & Helen M. Pursley
A Play about a Poem with a Song to light the candles of your brain
4 humans, 1 force of nature, 1 monster
Theater for Young Audiences Resources
Media Musical Theater in America
Learn about musical theater using examples from Broadway, the history, structure and elements of musical theater, musical theater's role in social commentary, its legacy, and how you too can create a musical.
Meet the Artists: Brian & Marvin Quijada
Brian Quijada is a Salvadoran-American actor, playwright, musician, and a solo performer, Marvin Quijada is a Chicago based actor/clown/mime/iOS musician.
Media Ellipsoidal Reflector Spotlights
One of the jobs of a lighting designer is to be an illusionist; to convince the audience they’re somewhere special. This video series will show you some of the tricks and gear used to make that happen.
Kennedy Center Education
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 A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation; Annenberg Foundation; the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation; Bank of America; Bender Foundation, Inc.; Carter and Melissa Cafritz Trust; Carnegie Corporation of New York; DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities; Estée Lauder; Flocabulary; Harman Family Foundation; The Hearst Foundations; the Herb Alpert Foundation; the Howard and Geraldine Polinger Family Foundation; William R. Kenan, Jr. Charitable Trust; the Kimsey Endowment; The King-White Family Foundation and Dr. J. Douglas White; Laird Norton Family Foundation; Lois and Richard England Family Foundation; Dr. Gary Mather and Ms. Christina Co Mather; Dr. Gerald and Paula McNichols Foundation; The Morningstar Foundation; The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation;
Music Theatre International; Myra and Leura Younker Endowment Fund; the National Endowment for the Arts; Newman’s Own Foundation; Nordstrom; Park Foundation, Inc.; Paul M. Angell Family Foundation; Prince Charitable Trusts; Soundtrap; The Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust; Rosemary Kennedy Education Fund; The Embassy of the United Arab Emirates; The Victory Foundation; The Volgenau Foundation; and Volkswagen Group of America. 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.