Rapunzel: One show, three versions.

PlayTime adapts to change!

by April Cochran

Last spring, when “the world shut down”, we were just weeks away from presenting our springtime production of Rapunzel for our PlayTime series.

For the uninitiated - PlayTime is our interactive, creative theatre performance for very young children and their caregivers. One of the ways PlayTime is described is “a cross between Captain Kangaroo and Romper Room.” The same festive format is followed for every show. Ms. April and Jack (a puppet friend) discover the Word of the Day and then lead the audience in a countdown to bring out the Clubhouse at the Market House Players, currently played by Travis and Emi Hensel and Julie Price! The Clubhouse gang teaches everyone the Secret Handshake, the Clubhouse Pledge and then brings out the huge Rainbow storybook to discover the day’s story. After learning a bit about the story’s origins, parts are divided up (often recruiting audience members) and the story is acted out! The story involves young audiences in the telling through song, chants, role playing, answering questions and much more! Then after the closing ritual, the Clubhouse gang gives the audience members a sticker and something to extend the playing at home such as an activity sheet or character headband. This popular program is provided free to audiences through the generosity of the McCracken County Early Childhood Council and the Community Foundation of West Kentucky. The Early Childhood Council also usually provides additional funding to provide a storybook to each family!

The Clubhouse at the Market House Gang reveal the day's story! (Julie Price, Travis Hensel, Emi Hensel)

Photo by Alex Hilkey

PlayTime audience does the sign for the Word of the Day

Photo by Alex Hilkey

Since 2013, MHT has followed the above format to provide 3 - 4 PlayTime productions every season. Then the pandemic hit! We realized we needed to change our model since packing audiences into our small Studio Theatre was no longer an option. Our first challenge, however, was to provide a workable offering for the McCracken County Public Library for their summer program. They asked if we had a virtual offering. Well - not yet!, but PlayTime rose to the challenge and in May/June we rewrote Rapunzel and filmed it to suit a virtual format - changing the Clubhouse handshake to a Secret Password, modifying the audience participation to work with a TV screen and using the talents of MHT’s marketing director Alex Hilkey to edit together an interactive video with all the hallmark charm of PlayTime, but now with a definite “Blue’s Clues” feel! Meanwhile - MHT was furiously working to get an outdoor space up and functional and PlayTime went back to the editing table to rewrite the format and create a “socially distanced” version of the show where audiences could still participate in telling the story, but no touching or contact involved! Also - the actors rehearsed with masks, but when performing outside went without. It was super safe because the Hensels are a married couple, and Julie is part of their friend group. As an extra layer of protection - Julie is staged to be at least 6’ away from the Hensel duo. Giving a sticker and activity sheet at the end was deemed unsafe, but the Childhood Council came through with additional funding to provide each family with a story book, as well as ensuring we could keep doing PlayTime over the summer. Rapunzel was performed in the new Courtyard space on August 5 & 6. PlayTime immediately went back into rehearsal to create a socially distanced version of Little Red Riding Hood on September 3, 4 & 5 and are now in final rehearsals for their upcoming production of Sleeping Beauty slated for Sept. 28, 29, & 30.

Kids enjoy the PlayTime production of Rapunzel

Photo by Alex Hilkey

Future plans for PlayTime include doing a virtual production of their annual offering of The Mitten in Jan/Feb, and then to resume outdoor productions sometime in the spring! Stay tuned!