RACHEAL ALVSTAD / Scroll
Children watch Readers Theatre class perform Monsters in the Bathroom by Bill Harley.

Children visit campus to watch ‘Monsters’ invade Snow Building

Genevieve Erickson ERI03003@BYUI.EDU Scroll Staff

Each winter semester BYU-Idaho’s Readers Theatre becomes the children’s theater group, Tellers and Troubadours.

The group spends half a semester creating a production and performs it for local children during the second half.

This year’s student-run show was called “Monsters in the Bathroom,” adapted from the songs of Bill Harley.

Since 2000, children from local elementary schools have been coming to the BYU-I campus to participate. Children have come as far away as Blackfoot for the event. Typically about 2,400 young children attend one of the performances, given every Monday and Wednesday during the second half of the winter semester. The show runs from mid-March to mid-April.

Omar Hansen, a professor in the Theater Department and teacher for the Reader’s Theatre, said his job is to give artistic input, but most of the time it’s about sitting back and letting the students do their work.
Everything from the lighting used, to the sets and props, to the directing and choreography is managed and designed by students.

In previous semesters, the students have written the script.

This semester is the first time Tellers and Troubadours have performed stories by a nationally acclaimed storyteller. Usually students adapt myths and legends for the show.

“Bill Harley’s ability to tell a story that connects to children is amazing,” said Hansen.

By adapting Harley’s songs and adding their own costuming and set design the group created a high-energy production that would appeal to children.

The show encourages audience participation — but with children, that never seems to be an issue.

“[Children] get into the performance and have lots of energy,” said Katie Winder, a freshman from South Jordan, Utah. “Children are more fun to perform for than adults are.”

During the show’s first number the cast members dressed up as different jungle animals and danced through the rows of the audience. Kids were leaning out of their seats, trying to give the actors high fives.

When the actors asked for a volunteer from the audience, almost every hand shot up in the air. The rest of the audience gave loud groans and disappointed looks when a boy in the front row was chosen.

“I enjoy performing for children because you get to be really silly and the children appreciate it,” said Esther Haessig, a senior from Rexburg.

At the end of the performance the entire cast came out for a quick question and answer session with the children. Hands flew up all over the place. It seemed every child had a question they wanted answered.

One little boy wanted to know what the “funnest” part about acting was.

Pretending to be someone else and getting to wear the costumes, answered the cast.

A girl asked why the actors put on this performance.

“It’s all because of you guys,” Hansen said. “Kids are better audiences than adults.”

“I love theater all around, but I especially like performing for children,” Haessig said. “I feel like I’ve had some sort of impact on a child’s life.”

Readers Theatre is open to anyone on campus who is interested in joining.

“They need to bring a willingness to learn and an ability to perform on stage in front of children,” Hansen said, “but they don’t have to be trained. They just have to want to perform for children.”