Whether you are taking children to the theater on Broadway or a matinee at the community playhouse, a successful experience for your kids begins with choosing the right show.
The key: Age-appropriate choices. Young children will mostly likely enjoy children's performances and almost every community has theater for them. These often are works with lots of histrionics, bright costumes, and broad humor. Just the thing to engage and entertain a young mind. Then take the opportunity to “graduate” your young theatergoers as they grow and are able to enjoy more challenging works.
Go online to learn a bit about the show. Show photos or illustrations to your kids. Explain the plot to them. Tell them who the major characters are and why they'll be doing what they do.
Don't worry about “spoiling” the show. The live performance will entrance them, and knowing a bit about what is happening will keep their minds from wandering.
A great example from my experience was taking my 11-year-old daughter to see a touring production of The Phantom of the Opera. The action confuses some adults, but she was prepared, able to follow it, and was thoroughly entranced.
Get there early and allow a little “walk-around” time so they can work off energy.
Theaters are fascinating places. Talk about the sets if they are visible. Show them the lighting grid. Take a look at the program to re-enforce your discussions of the plot.
Let them interact with the usher to find your seats. Get settled. Tell them to watch for the lights to come down and that that is the signal to get quiet.
Intermission is a great time to make sure they're following the show. If they don't like it, explain that that's fine. Lot's of people don't like every show, but get them to explain why they don't like it.
Most children's, community, and commercial theaters make performers available for autographs and photos after a show. Take advantage of this with your kids. It's thrilling for them (and you) to see the actors, often still in costume, up close; to ask a question; or to pose for a photo.
You've invested an evening or an afternoon, now go the distance. Take your kids to a coffee shop or restaurant. Discuss the show with them, what they liked, didn't like. What would they change?
If the show is reviewed, be sure to show your kids the review in the paper and any photos. This lets them know they were at a special event.
Whatever age you start taking your children to the theater, build them up as you go along. If you start with Shakespeare chances are good you'll have a bored kid. If you start with shows they like, chances are good you're growing up a theater fan.
In our family, we found a great place to start was taking young kids to high school shows where their cousins were performing. They got backstage tours and got to meet other actors. It made theater accessible to them while retaining the magic of it.
As they grow, take your kids to increasingly challenges shows, always using the steps above appropriate to their age.
Always check the theater's website or with the box office to see if there are age restrictions. And taking babies to the theater is never a good idea.