Before the fundraiser this Thursday, we wanted to introduce Ginger and ask her about a few of her favorite things and the special cocktail she created just for the event.

What’s your favorite: Alice in Wonderland, Mad Men, or both? Why?
Mad Men, because it is the only show I watch on cable and I love the characters and the costumes.

If you could be any character from Alice in Wonderland or Mad Men, who would you be? Why?
The white queen in the Alice and Wonderland book because she is crazy, and I feel a little crazy sometimes with the business and my two young sons.

Have you been to Fairytale Town? If so, what is your favorite feature?
Not yet, but my kids are dying to go see the animals.

What will you be showcasing at the Mad Hatter Meets Mad Men event on May 16?
A chilled drink with a little chocolate, a little tea and a little booze! It’s an Earl Grey Chocolate Chambord cocktail.

Thank you Ginger!

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Boxtales Theatre Company

Dramatic play takes center stage at Fairytale Town’s Children’s Theater Festival and Puppet Festival. Theater is a great tool to inspire both imaginative and physical play in children – and adults as well. Theater is a highly collaborative and inclusive way to play. Writers, directors, actors, set designers, costumers, sound engineers, and backstage crew are all needed to put on a show – which gives everyone a chance to be involved.

Rumpelstiltskin Puppet Show

Fairytale Town’s Children’s Theater and Puppet Festival are a great way to introduce children to the magic of theater.  The shows are fun, interactive and engaging. It is easy and affordable to attend. Each show is offered twice a day and you can purchase tickets at the door or at the front gate the day you attend. Tickets to the shows are only $2 in addition to park admission (and only $1 for members).

The companies featured during our Festivals offer a variety of stories and theater styles. Fairytales, folk tales and original plays are brought to life with mask, movement, acting, puppetry, costumes, sound effects, lighting and sets.  After the shows, it is wonderful to hear children and adults discuss character and plot, and to see them act out their own stories as they play throughout the park.

Voice of the Wood

The shows at Fairytale Town are great fun, but there is a serious side of the performing arts. Children who are involved in the arts have higher academic performance, lower drop-out rates, and greater community involvement.  Like play, the performing arts foster critical thinking, communication skills, innovation and collaboration.

So add some drama to your life – come out to Fairytale Town and see a play… and play on!

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A flute fairy at Fairyland!

To celebrate the last day of our winter hours when we are closed to the public for three days a week, a few of us headed out west to visit a couple of sister organizations, Children’s Fairyland in Oakland an the Berkeley Adventure Playground.

Our first stop was Fairyland. After a tour through their 10-acre site, we shared lunch under the trees with our counterparts and friends. It was great to swap stories about birthday party packages, membership programs, marketing plans, general maintenance, food service, guest activities and weather issues.

The proscenium side of the stage

We were all impressed with their new theater facility. The stage could open up on one side for a lawn seating amphitheater, and on the other side for more traditional proscenium-style seating. We were jealous of the walk-in refrigerator and freezer in their cafe. And we loved their new Jack and Jill Hill! A small hill covered in turf, children spend hours rolling or sliding down it on large pieces of cardboard. The simple things are often the most fun!

Entry way to adventure play!

After lunch, we headed further west to the Berkeley Marina where we got a brief history and in-depth tour of the Berkeley Adventure Playground. It was the first time anyone (besides me) had experienced an adventure playground, and all were amazed. It is such a surprise to enter an adventure playground because things are higgledy-piggledy rather than neat, organized and padded. It is a magical environment nonetheless – because it’s an environment that kids create themselves. Established for older children ages 7 and up, it offers a safe environment for kid to explore and take risks. Hammers and nails can be checked out to build huts. Paint is available to paint the huts – or anything else they might find, and a garden area is available for those who want to dig in the dirt. A rope swing around a may pole, and a dirt hill with old tubing for rolling down it are there for the more daring.

Zipping alongside the bay

And – best of all – there’s a zip line to play on!

We arrived back at Fairytale Town at the end of the day both tired and inspired by our adventure. A full day of play was just what we needed to get geared up for spring!

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Lots of party guests arrived! At the end of the day 2650 people came through the gates.

I think the first thing they noticed was the Truffula Trees. Our talented staff created brilliant truffula-top covers for the light poles around the park.  It was fun to hear guests ooh and aah as a favorite storybook setting was transported into real life – if only for a day.

Once inside, kids could make ‘Cat in the Hat’ hats, create rhyme books and plant Truffula seeds (dandelions) to take home and watch grow. Through these playful activities they developed the eye/hand coordination so important for reading, learned about individual letter sounds, and connected the dots between seeds and trees.

Many guests congregated by the Mother Goose Stage where they could hear local dignitaries and celebrities read Seuss stories all day long. It’s not very often a child gets read to by their local councilmember or television anchor! Through this activity children and their family members were able to make important connections to their community.

It was a good day of play. And it all started with a few simple words!

Photos by Dina Heidrich

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The new play set has activities for children ages 2 and up including slides, climbing apparatuses, a talk tube and a telescope. Sherwood also has a refreshed birthday party area as well as new hand-made chairs, animal sculptures and landscaping.

The renovation actually began last year when the old play structure was starting to show signs of wear. (It isn’t easy being exposed to the sun, rain, wind and 230,000 annual visitors!)  A task force was formed to head up the renovation project and designs were sought from four different playground designers. In the meantime, a search for funding was underway. A design was selected. Applications for building permits were submitted and construction plans were approved. The old set was demolished and the new one erected. Three inspections were made to ensure the structure was sound. Cash and in-kind donations were received and acknowledged. New chairs and fencing were built. Holes and trenches wee dug and new plants and irrigation were installed. A re-opening ceremony was held and the ribbon to the new Sherwood was cut.

Now the work is turned over to the children who visit us. It’s their job to play and imagine to their hearts content in the new Sherwood Forest. Judging from those who have played on it already, they are doing their job well – and happily!

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With earth-tone colors and forest-themed elements, the structure was custom-designed to echo the entire Sherwood Forest play set. The structure features slides, crawl tubes, a talk tube, telescope and multiple climbing apparatuses, including steps shaped as tree trunks and bedrock, an inclined log and a vertical rock climbing wall. Wood chips surrounding the base of the play structure will make for soft landings during play time on the structure.

In addition, other parts of Sherwood Forest were spruced up while under construction. Our Grounds crew was hard at work installing an irrigation system, planting new shrubs, refinishing the dining area and more.

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Open for Play!

We are finalizing our calendar – or season of play – as I write.

We work with and around the capital improvements on our grounds; activities at Land Park’s amphitheater, athletic fields, gardens and picnic tables; the happenings at the Zoo, Funderland and Pony Rides; and, the schedules of artists, authors, community partners, educators, entertainers and sponsors involved in our various programs. Added to that, the weather is always hovering over our heads. (A freak storm in June can create havoc!)

However, no doubt like you, our biggest schedule challenge is how to fit it all in! How many programs and people can we fit in our current footprint and structure? Can we manage to add another capital improvement? Is it time to expand some programs ‘off-campus’ to spread the joy of play throughout the land? What would we need to even do that?…  Answers often lead to more questions.

So, taking it all in account, we’ve pulled together a playful season for 2013. I’ll update you on the work behind it all in the coming months.

As everyone at FairytaleTown can attest, there is a lot of work to play – but it is worth it.

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Original productions for the Fairytale Town Troupers are written and directed by Fairytale Town’s Education & Theatre Arts Specialist, John Lee, an award-winning local playwright, director and actor.

Auditions for the 2013 season will be held on January 27. We recently asked Mr. Lee for more information about the Trouper program and the audition process.

Who are the Fairytale Town Troupers?
The Fairytale Town Troupers is the name of our very own repertory company of young actors who create new live theatre arts performances here at Fairytale Town.

Can I join too?
Sure! The Fairytale Town Trouper program is always in need of new faces.

Is there any special training needed to be a Trouper?
Nope. No previous theatrical experience is necessary. Novices learn the secrets of practical playmaking by working side-by-side with stage veterans.

What are the age requirements?
The Fairytale Town Troupers program is open to school-aged children ages 5-18 (grades K-12). You must be a student currently enrolled in school to participate.

When are the next auditions?
Our 2013 Season Auditions will take place onsite in our Children’s Theater on Sunday, January 27, 2013.

Do I need an appointment?
Yes, please contact me to schedule your audition appointment. I can be reached at (916) 808-8884 Extension 1 or mrlee@fairytaletown.org.

What should I do to prepare?
Please bring a recent photograph of yourself. It does not need to be a formal “headshot”—any picture that shows you looking the way you really look will be just fine.

We’ll need some basic contact information: your standard clothing sizes (for costumes), and you should also have handy a list of any major conflicts for the Trouper season (vacations, out-of town trips, etc.).

Also, please memorize a short monologue from any literary source. You will not be timed, but the monologue should be approximately one minute maximum length. The monologue can be a speech from a play, your favorite book or a poem. Please do NOT use a speech you have seen in a movie or a TV show.

What can I expect?
Once you arrive, you’ll be asked to fill out some paperwork. I will call up everyone to perform their individual monologues one after the other. Then we’ll break up into small groups to read scenes from the upcoming plays onstage. The whole process is very upbeat and informal.

Are parents welcome to attend the audition?
Yes, each actor is allowed to bring one parent or adult family member or guardian to auditions and rehearsals.

How much does it cost?
The Fairytale Town Troupers Workshop fee is $50 per production. Auditions are free, of course.

What if I have more questions?
Simply contact me, and I’ll be happy to answer any additional questions. I  can be reached at (916) 808-8884 Extension 1 or mrlee@fairytaletown.org.

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Of course, the people who make the physical plant clean and magical also need a break. Not a break to kick back and enjoy, but a break to do the kinds of projects that have to be done, but are easier done without worrying about thousands of little hands and feet. This is the time of year we dig ditches, freshen up paint, clean or reorganize offices and storage areas, and plan for the future – and do it during normal business hours and without roping off areas, locking up tools or wearing uniforms. Though it’s a very productive time of year for us, we call it our ‘down time.’

Children need down time also. During down time children play in quiet and unobtrusive ways. They may read, draw, write, shovel sand, water plants or just day dream. Quiet play is a productive time for children. It’s when they can let their hair down a bit, relax, think things through and ponder. While engaged in quiet play children gain understanding of themselves and the people and things around them.

During the hectic holiday season be sure to schedule some down time for yourself, your family and your children. It may be the most productive thing you do!

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I’m here this week in Orlando, Florida, home to many amusement parks, water parks and more! This year, Fairytale Town is proud to take part of the International Attractions and Amusement Park Association (IAAPA) Convention that takes place at the Orange County convention center. All types of parks, such as zoos, water parks, play parks and family fun centers, unite under one roof. As we shuttle in and out of the many education classes, we also have the opportunity to meet others from parks and share ideas. I’ve met people from all over the nation as well as other countries!

Besides all the presentations on topics like food, retail and customer service, I also attended a presentation featuring three CEO’s from three very successful companies. They each shared their knowledge and experiences with having a successful workplace. Here I’d like to quote one presenter’s teaching: “Always have fun, having fun!” I couldn’t agree more! Not only does this apply to work but in everything we do, and it’s such a perk to see that especially with all our families that visit Fairytale Town.

The other great part of this trip is the expo. Here, vendors and suppliers showcase their best products. Rides, play sets, zip lines, jungle gyms and more are all available for the testing.

Here are pictures of some of the neat products I tested:

The incredible milking cow! Kids can climb on this cow and also learn how to milk a cow.

Can’t wait to bring great ideas back home to Fairytale Town!

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