Cobweb Dreams

As April takes centre stage, we're diving into the world of all things Shakespeare. With incredible plays, adaptations and playful parodies, we're here to help you bring the world of Shakespeare to life, whether it's in your classroom or on the stage. So grab your favourite quill and parchment, and let's celebrate the Bard's birthday in style with these phenomenal plays!

Welcome to our Featured Play Spotlight. Cobweb Dreams by Lindsay Price is a fun-filled fantasy, filled with friendship and fairies. A great play for high school and middle school students that runs parallel to the events of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Cobweb is not having a good time as part of Titania’s train. She dreams of a life where she plays pranks all day long and doesn’t have to be a stuffy, stuck-up fairy in waiting. If only it was a simple as crossing the brook to be part of Oberon’s train! But life in the woods is not simple. The King and Queen fight tooth and nail, Cobweb fights to make her dreams come true, and her friends fight to keep her from being turned into a toadstool. A mortal with a donkey head has wandered into the grove and the flower fairies blame Cobweb. Oh will this midsummer night never end? Let’s hear from the author! 1. Why did you write this play? Adaptation is my favourite form of writing, and I’ve always been a little obsessed with the four lines that the fairies have in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. What’s happening with the fairies, when the other stories are taking place? 2. Describe the theme in one or two sentences. A fun-filled forest fantasy about friendship, self-image, and fairies. 3. What’s the most important visual for you in this play? The different fairy groups were such fun to write because they each have distinct traits: The water fairies are bubbly, the flower fairies are snobby and the woodland fairies are down to earth tomboys. Creating the look for each will give you a wonderful visual landscape tot he piece. 4. If you could give one piece of advice for those producing the play, what would it be? This is a character driven fantasy piece so focus on those two elements. Make each fairy group unique physically and have fun with the costumes! 5. Why is this play great for student performers? At the heart of it, the play is about friendships and figuring out who you really are. These are great themes for students to explore whether or not they’re in the context of a Shakespeare story!

Cobweb Dreams by Lindsay Price is a fun-filled fantasy that runs parallel to the events of Shakespeare’s_ A Midsummer Night’s Dream._ Available in full length or one-act versions, this movement-based Shakespearean comedy is a fun-filled play that your middle school and high school students won’t want to miss. Cobweb is not having a good time as part of Titania’s train. She dreams of a life where she plays pranks all day long and doesn’t have to be a stuffy, stuck-up fairy in waiting. If only it was a simple as crossing the brook to be part of Oberon’s train! But life in the woods is not simple. The King and Queen fight tooth and nail, Cobweb fights to make her dreams come true, and her friends fight to keep her from being turned into a toadstool. A mortal with a donkey head has wandered into the grove and the flower fairies blame Cobweb. Oh will this midsummer night never end Under the direction of Emily Steelman , the incredibly talented drama group at the Redwing Drama Club in Eminence, Missouri made their ‘cobweb dreams’ a stunning and successful reality! Check out some of the pictures they shared to be transported to a magical forest full of fantasy, fun and fairies.

Time for a Tfolk Top Ten Plays To….Stretch your tech. ** We pride ourselves at Theatrefolk that you can produce most of our plays with two cubes. And you could take away one of the cubes if you had to. But what if you want to stretch your tech? What if you’ve got a production class with kids who must design for more than two cubes? Wonder no longer. **Here are 10 plays that will Stretch your Tech. Click the link and you’ll be taken to the webpage for each play. There you’ll get the details and read sample pages. Hand this list over to your student directors and see what they think. All the best with your search!

It can be tough at times to get students excited about Shakespeare but that was before Cobweb Dreams by Lindsay Price. This fun-filled fantasy parallels the events of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream and allows students to have some fun in the forest. Cobweb is not having a good time as part of Titania’s train. She dreams of a life where she plays pranks all day long and doesn’t have to be a stuffy, stuck-up fairy in waiting. If only it was a simple as crossing the brook to be part of Oberon’s train! We love these pictures of James River High School ’s production under the direction of Allison Oyler. “We thoroughly enjoyed putting on Cobweb Dreams last spring. Kids are STILL talking about how much they loved the show. -Allison Oyler”

Time for a Tfolk Top Ten Plays For…Large Casts! Maybe your policy is to give a part to everyone who auditions. Or maybe your drama club is bursting with students. Either way, you need plays with a lot of characters. And not just characters who stand in the background holding up the scenery. Click the link and you’ll be taken to the webpage for each play. There you’ll get the details and read sample pages. All the best with your search! The Pauper Princess Cast size: 10M+28W+34 Either A twist on The Price and the Pauper with two girls in the lead roles and Elizabethan England as the location. The Princess is Princess Elizabeth and the Pauper is a girl hiding as a boy in a location theatre production. A huge cast with roles for everyone who tries out. Rebootilization Cast size: 13M+15W+25 Either, Expandable to 85+ Stories all over the world are under attack. Pages are going blank in a pandemic so big, the government’s involved. SynCryn has the original narrative DNA for every story and it’s an easy reboot process, so long as…. nothing goes wrong. Parts for everyone. The Absolutely Insidious and Terrifying Truth About Cat Hair Cast size: 8 Either, Plus ensemble of 8-100 A hilarious piece with an insanely large cast. How will you theatricalize cat hair that is plotting the downfall of humanity even as we speak? Personification at its best. Circus Olympus Cast size: 6M+9W, expandable to 12 M+20W A gleeful celebration of greek myth with excellent large cast expansion and parts for all abilities. Circus elements are optional and are suggested for each myth. Being Bianca: The Semi Complete Guide Cast size: 2M+10W+38 Either When told she should engage in volunteer work, Bianca decides on a great service to mankind: She will teach us all how to “Be Bianca.” (the semi-complete guide). Every life step is Bianca-ized! It may not be the best idea, but it is the most entertaining. The Myths at the End of the World Cast size: 2M+3W+2 Either, Expandable to 30 Four campers are not only lost in the wood, they are lost at the edge of the world with no land, water, stars or sun. The only thing to do is to release stories from around the world and from the wind. Excellent opportunities for mask and movement. A unique cross- curricular storytelling adventure. The Art of Rejection Cast size: The Art of Rejection 1M +1W+14 Either, Chaired 13 Either Two plays that look at being alone – whether it’s the only letter in a sea of numbers, or alone in making the right decision to sit or stand. A combination of humanity and the avant-garde the two together make for a great competition piece. The Canterbury Tales Cast size: 4M+4W, Easily Expandable to 16+19W Chaucer’s classic collection of tales comes to life in a full-length adaptation. Great characters, lots of humour, and strong ensemble work. Text uses modern English. Cobweb Dreams Cast size: 2M+17W+7 Either Cobweb Dreams is a fun-filled fantasy that runs parallel to the events of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Cobweb is not having fun in Titania’s train. She dreams of a life where she plays pranks all day long and doesn’t have to be a stuffy, stuck-up fairy in waiting. Oh will this midsummer night never end? The Snow Queen Cast size: M+20W+31 Either A magical theatrical adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen’s tale of a sister’s love, an ice cold heart, and a fantastical journey. It’s the original Snow Queen story brought to life.

Episode 87: Character Interpretation – The Student’s Point of ViewLindsay talks with two sets of students who prepared the same characters, in the same show, but in two different productions. How did they prepare? How did seeing their character played by another actor affect their work?

Episode 86:Character Interpretation – The Director’s Point of ViewTwo directors, high school teacher Carolyn Greer, and middle school teacher Jessica Stafford, share their experience working on the same show and seeing students come up with completely different character interpretations.