List of Fantasy Themed Stage Plays

List of Fantasy Themed Stage Plays A quest begins! Dragons lurk in caves. Diabolic beasts wait around nearly every twist and turn of the trail. But, if the heroes are brave and loyal, a triumphant ending is in store. Fantasy has long since delighted young and old alike. Although this very visual genre offers a great many challenges to a director, it can be a very fulfilling experience to both the audience and the artists. The following plays are some of the most popular fantasy stories in the history of children’s literature. With the right elements, each of these stage adaptations can be transformed into a top-notch production. The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe Many artistic mediums have brought the world of Narnia to life. Literature, radio, television, animation, and film have each interpreted C.S. Lewis’ work. Yet the stage play adaptation of this fantasy classic possesses immense charm and sincerity. Production Challenges: Lots of fantastical set pieces and imaginative costumes make this a difficult show to perform without an extravagant budget (or a very forgiving audience!) Production Advantages: This highly moral story of good versus evil offers a wide range of characters for actors of various ages. Performers get the rare opportunity of playing intelligent animals, enchanted creatures, and heroic children. Casting Advice: It’s a plus if the children can pull off a British accent. It’s an even bigger plus if they can reverently gasp â€Å"Aslan!† on a continual basis! Much of the believability depends on how the child actors respond to the magical creatures. If they are genuinely in awe, the audience will feel that same sense of wonder. Script available at Dramatic Publishing. The Hobbit Adapted by Edward Mast, this prequel to Lord of the Rings captures the essence of this magical quest- though it does skip a few parts of the book. J.R.R. Tolkien spins the wondrous tale of Bilbo Baggins, the unlikely hero who learns that there is more to life than relaxing in the Shire. The stage play is simple enough that it could be performed by junior high students. Yet, the themes are sophisticated enough to warrant a professional production. Production Challenges: The large cast consists almost entirely of male characters. If this is performed by a school or children’s theater, the many young actresses who audition may be disappointed to find themselves cast as a beard-clad dwarf! Production Advantages: The sets can consist of a number of fantasy forest and cave backdrops. The look can also be enhanced with a skilled lighting and sound designer. Casting Advice: With the right cast, this can be a fun play to use both child actors (as dwarves and hobbits) and adults (as Gandalf, Goblins, and Gollum). More faithful productions have cast adults in all parts, selecting shorter actors for the â€Å"vertically-challenged† characters. Find out more about this stage adaptation of The Reluctant Dragon So many fantasy stories end with a dragon being slain. Imaginary-animal activists will be happy to know that at least one show is sympathetic to the plight of these endangered magical beasts. Though a tale of fantasy, this version by Mary Hall Surface teaches a valuable lesson of the dangers of prejudice. Production Challenges: Some creative costuming is required to make the title character look dragon-like. Other than that, this is very easy to produce play. Production Advantages: The script is short, sweet, and to the point. It runs about sixty minutes and sports a small cast of eight players. Casting Advice: Much of the script contains dialogue befitting of medieval knights. Cast a regal sounding actor for the distinguished role of St. George. Script available at Anchorage Press Plays. Tuck Everlasting Not all fantasies contain wizards and monsters. Some of the best imaginary tales present a single magical element. In the case of Tuck Everlasting, a family drinks from a supernatural spring and attains eternal life, for better or for worse. Production Disadvantages: Mark Frattaroli’s adaptation of Natalie Babbitt’s beloved novel is not yet available through publishing companies. However, since 1991, it has been performed at several regional theaters such as the Magic Theatre Company. Production Advantages: If a playhouse manages to get the rights to Tuck Everlasting, the Chicago Playworks company has created a very handy guide for drama teachers and students.

Sentence Structure 101

Sentence Structure 101 One of the first things we learned in English class was the definition of a sentence: a group of words that expresses a complete thought, containing a subject (the person, place or thing about which something is said) and a verb (the action word or words referencing the subject). By this definition, you could make a sentence from two words, such as: I study.Making your writing more appealingTo make our writing appealing and interesting to our readers, however, we should go beyond the two: My best friend and I study every afternoon and complete our assignments. (Subjects: friend, I; Verbs: study, complete).Compound sentencesExpressing two or more related thoughts, compound sentences are joined by either a semicolon or a conjunction (and, but, or, nor, for, yet). When constructing a compound sentence, each complete thought should be able to stand alone as a simple sentence. Example: My best friend and I study every afternoon; we strive to complete our assignments quickly.Complex senten cesWhen a sentence contains at least one complete thought and one or more incomplete thoughts (phrases), you have constructed a complex sentence. Incomplete thoughts begin with words such as after, although, as, as long as, before, unless, though, since, when, if and while. Example: Because my best friend and I study every afternoon, we complete our assignments quickly.Once you understand the architecture of these three sentence types, you can sprinkle your writing with a variety of sentence structures, while always being alert for certain pitfalls, which we will discuss in the next section.Common mistakes when writing sentencesSentence fragmentWhen a period is used after a part of a sentence that does not express a complete thought, this is known as a sentence fragment. Example of sentence fragment: You study every afternoon. Which allows you to complete your assignments quickly.Loose hook: My best friend and I study every afternoon, but my little sister takes dancing lessons on Sa turday.Word omissionOmissions of necessary words results in awkward and unclear writing. It is never advisable to sacrifice clarity for brevity, as your reader will then have to supply the missing words. Example: Studied all afternoon. Assignments completed.Comma faultPlacing a comma between two complete thoughts creates a comma fault. Example: My best friend and I study every afternoon, we complete our assignments quickly. To avoid comma faults, try one of the following:Place periods at the end of each complete thought.Place a semicolon between the complete thoughts.Place a comma and a coordinating conjunction between the complete thoughts.Begin the sentence with an incomplete thought followed by a comma, then end the sentence with a complete thought.Proofreading your sentencesIt is extremely important that sentences are coherent, with words and thoughts connected in proper relationships to avoid misunderstanding on the part of the reader. Always proofread your writing to ensure th at the meaning of each sentence is clear, based on these guidelines:Placement of sentence partsMake sure that words are placed with the unit of thought to which they are related. Misplacing even one word can change the meaning of a sentence, as demonstrated in the following examples:Only I study in the afternoon. (I alone study in the afternoon.)I only study in the afternoon. (I never do anything else in the afternoon.)I study only in the afternoon. (I never study any other time.)Parallel constructionIdeas of equal value in a sentence should be expressed in the same form to help the reader recognize the similarity of the ideas. Study these examples of wrong and corrected parallel construction:(Wrong) When I study in the afternoon, I read my textbook, write my essays and to improve my spelling.(Corrected) When I study in the afternoon, I read my textbook, write my essays and improve my spelling.(Wrong) The three objectives of studying in the afternoon are: (1) to complete assignments quickly, (2) learning to spell and (3) making a good grade.(Corrected) The three objectives of studying in the afternoon are: (1) completing assignments quickly, (2) learning to spell and (3) making a good grade.Complete comparisonWhen making comparisons in your sentences, supply all the words needed to complete the comparative thought.(Wrong) I study faster.(Corrected) I study faster than my best friend.(Wrong) I have been studying longer.(Corrected) I have been studying longer than anyone else in my class.Pronoun reference(This is my worst editing nightmare.) The word to which a pronoun refers must be clear to the reader. It, he, she, they, you and this take the place of nouns (person, places or things), and must agree with the nouns to which they refer so that a consistent viewpoint is maintained. If your reader has to re-read the sentence to determine the noun to which the pronoun refers, then your sentence is faulty.(Wrong) After studying with my best friend, she thought we wo uld get a good grade.(Corrected) After studying with me, my best friend thought we would get a good grade.(Wrong) A student who completes assignments quickly will turn in their work on time.(Corrected) Students who complete assignments quickly will turn in their work on time.The English language is one of the most difficult languages in the world; there are rules, and then there are exceptions to those rules.

Sport Sponsorship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Sport Sponsorship - Essay Example Sports sponsorship emerged and has developed based on the fact that most sports teams and events lack the financial muscle to sustain themselves and sponsors come in to assist. Businesses identify a promotion opportunity created by huge audiences sport events bring together. It would then see business associate with sport clubs and events that act as agents of business promotion for the sponsors. This is a mutually beneficial move as both the sponsored and sponsors gain advantages (Fortunato, 2013:88). There are, however, several issues that come along with sponsorship. Cultural factors may prevent successful sponsorship as the players culture may not synchronise with the sponsor’s promotions (Stotlar, 2009: 112). Additionally, negative associations in which many sponsors that promote two contrasting products may sponsor the same event or club. Also, sponsorship fits in which large companies are to be involved poses a problem. The mutual benefit that both the sponsors and the sponsored teams gain cannot be overlooked. It has proved to be a considerable force behind the development of sports across the world and it deserves to be recognised as much as possible. Sponsorship benefits both parties involved and, therefore, quite