Dragons and Pirates

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A trail of glitter trickled down the dark concrete stairs that lead the way into Church Fine Arts room 19, where University of Nevada, Reno students are creating magic. During the fall semester The Dragons of Thespis, a theatre club, fashioned hand painted backdrops and individual creativity into a traveling troupe, providing theatre education to elementary schools around Nevada. The group began as Theatre 432, taught by Sue Klemp.

"The community outreach program just took off after some students decided to take what they learned into the elementary schools," Klemp said.

Bringing theatre to the schools was hard at first, according to Klemp, because of conflicting schedules. It was just last fall that the troupe registered as a club with the Associated Students of the University of Nevada. Since then the group of about 20 students has brought its magic to Brown Elementary, Fallon and Fernley elementary schools, Lichfield Elementary as well as other rural schools in northern Nevada.

This semester the troupe is performing an original play titled "The Pirates of Prehnite," which was written by rookie script writer and troupe member Dominic Lopez.

The play follows the adventures of a pirate band that learns through their adventures the consequences of mistreating the environment.

"Most scripts have a very narrow age range," Klemp said. "What we have found talks down to kids. It's too baby-ish and we didn't want that. Our play this semester is one of the best pieces of children's theatre I have read."

Every Tuesday and Thursday the group begins their practice with a set of warm ups. Child-like wonder filled the room as the students formed a circle and stretched up and down and from side to side. Then the group began to rehearse their musical numbers, a new addition this year, and sword fights.

With each scene change the atmosphere became more child-like.

"Working in that kind of fantastical realm frees up the mind and imagination and gives people the ability to work creatively," Klemp said.

The costume room embodied this sense of creativity. The cutting table held satin flowers that seemed to float in a river of green fabric and measuring tape and the floor was littered with the dust of a hundred stray threads.

"Its kind of like playing dress up," said Emily Anderson, the troupe's costume designer.

The room was in fact a little girl's dress up dream.

Patrick Donahue directed the set design for this semester's production. Donahue has been performing with The Dragons of Thespis since it became a formally recognized club last year. His designs were mainly influenced by what he liked as a child.

"The goal of what I do is to be able to take these kids out of their everyday lives and transport them to a magical world of swashbuckling pirates."

The legion of laughing children's voices is Donahue's fondest memory from last season's travels.

"Interacting with the kids is the best part of what we do," he said.

The troupe performed to an auditorium of around 900 Fernley students last spring semester.

"After the performance, the children were so excited to talk to us," Donahue said. "They wanted to know what it was like to be a princess or a knight."

Donahue hopes that his work might inspire a child to try theatre.

"Theatre builds self confidence and it gives a child the ability to express themselves creatively," he said. "I think children's theatre should be everywhere."

Each spring semester The Dragons of Thespis put together activities and work sheets that go along with the actual play.

McKenzie Swinehart, the group's founder, said that the group's work helps children develop concentration, cooperation, listening, teamwork, creative thinking skills and an increased vocabulary.

"We bring theatre education to kids who may never be exposed to it otherwise," Swinehart said.

Including university students in curriculum design, child development studies and team planning provides the opportunity to expand creative horizons, according to Klemp.

"We are providing a conduit to explore potentials," Klemp said. "This program provides many ways for UNR students to explore different potentials in a creative and imaginative way."

Donahue's work centers around the scene shop, where towering sheets of fabric are airbrushed with forest green and sky blue. Donahue's scenes depict deserted beaches and tree-lined forest roads.

Beginning April 17, the Dragons of Thespis will take their imagination, backdrops and magical creativity off campus as they transport a new generation to a place where creativity reigns supreme and where aspirations of piracy are encouraged.

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