Penn theater group puts on skits developed by W. Philly kids

Brightly colored blocks littered the set as two male actors -- a devil in a blue dress and an angel in a pink tutu -- battled for a young girl's conscience in Stimulus Children's Theater's fall show, A Philadelphia Children's Story. Stimulus, Penn's only children's theater group, solicited story ideas from West Philadelphia schoolchildren at the beginning of this semester and then rewrote them into one-act skits. The skits focus on everyday issues in the children's lives and neighborhoods and use humor to educate the group's young audience. "That was definitely a pull for me, that whole notion of having kids write stories," said College junior Ariel Bierbaum, who is co-directing the show. "It epitomizes what Stimulus is all about -- the kids. What better way to thank them than to use their own words?" The idea to use children's suggestions for this semester's show was jointly developed by Stimulus chairperson and Nursing senior Jessica Tkacs and Stimulus director Matt Bravo, a College junior. "It took Stimulus in a direction we had wanted to go, but [had] never really been before," Bravo said. Directing a show intended for children has unique challenges, such as appropriate subject matter and dealing with shorter attention spans. The set is brightly colored and music and dance are integral components of the show. "I'm a fan of big characters, especially in children's theater," Bravo explained. "You have to make all the characters larger than life." Stimulus currently does two shows a year, performing both on Penn's campus and in the community. "The community shows are important," Bravo noted. "That's what we prepare for." Going out into the community and performing is definitely an incredible experience for all those involved, said one Stimulus actor. "[Their] smiles when they get a break from their usual [school] day," are the best part, said cast member Jon Holzman, an Engineering junior. In the spring, Stimulus offers workshops for Philadelphia schoolchildren, led by members of Penn's performing arts community. Recent participants have included the comedy troupe Without A Net, the theatrical group Quadramics and the technical staffs from various groups. According to Tkacs, Stimulus is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. In 1988, then-undergraduate Rachel Kugelmass changed the focus of the group from children's education to children's theatre and registered with the Performing Arts Council. A Philadelphia Children's Story will run at the Iron Gate Theatre at 37th and Chestnut streets from November 13 through 15. Stimulus will then bring the production to several area schools.