Choosing age-appropriate plays will help in adapting a play to cater to disabled children.
Children's plays are an effective way to communicate positive lessons about life to children. Whether they are in musical or standard form, plays can reach children in ways literature cannot by presenting a live reenactment of a story. To adapt a play to cater to disabled children, you need to re-imagine the story told with different characters. Additionally, consider the nature of the disabilities as well as age appropriateness when adapting a children's play for disabled children.
Instructions
1. Choose a play with a simple storyline and characters who can easily be transformed. "A Christmas Carol" or "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory," for example, both feature characters that can be placed in different times, settings and life circumstances. When choosing a play, ask yourself if the story would still make sense and if the message would still translate if the characters in the play faced drastically different life circumstances.
2. Identify the message you want to get across. This is critical to successfully adapting a play that disabled children can identify with. Perhaps you would like the play to illustrate that being different isn't bad or that everybody is special. You may even want your children to teach other children deal with bullies. Regardless of the theme, it will be important that you adapt the play so that the characters are faced with these challenges.
3. Consider the cast. If you will be casting children with actual disabilities in your play, consider what limitations or challenges they may face playing different characters. Children with learning disabilities may need additional assistance learning or memorizing lines, while children with physical disabilities may not be able to perform parts requiring a lot of physicality such as running or jumping. Do not, however, prevent children from participating in the play because of a disability. Instead, modify the role to meet their personal abilities.
