“A Penny Plain and Twopence
Colored”Robert Louis Stevenson essay on Penny Theater, 1887
A project to adapt Mary Chapin Carpenter’s “Halley Came to
Jackson” to the Penny Theater format for 4-8 Year Olds
Jan, Dan, Matthew, & Peter Jablonski; Maureen & Charlie Green; Megan Wyble;
Margaret Ardillo
Noyes Children’s Library Foundation, Kensington, MDwww.NoyesLibraryFoundation.org
Presented at the 2014 March Meeting of the American Physical Society, Denver, CO
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Halley Came to JacksonMary Chapin Carpenter, illus. by Dan Andreasen
(HarperCollins, 1992)
March 4, 2014
• A song and picturebook about the coming of Halley’s Comet in 1910 and 1986
• Based on the life of author Eudora Welty
• Springboard for discussing the stars, planets, and Halley’s Comet with children
• An especially effective way to build understanding of time.
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Penny Theater
March 4, 2014
• Tabletop size theater• Has lights, scenery, props,
characters, and other elements characteristic of live theater
• Is an art form based on handheld toy theaters enjoyed by children during England’s Victorian era, used to bring children’s stories to life.
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Project Notes
March 4, 2014
• Existing tabletop Penny Theaters were more than 40 years old, and used dated technology
• Project funded construction of three state-of-the-art Penny Theaters with computer-controlled LED color lighting
• Decisions in set design for “Halley” based on both science and learning style of young children.
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“Halley” showings are presented in ways that enhance young children’s learning
March 4, 2014
• Children are encouraged to bring and wear homemade “space helmets” to the performance.
• A brief orientation is given at the beginning of the show.
• Children can watch multiple performances.
• There are related activities (crafts, Alka Seltzer rockets, etc.)
• Lists of museums, planetariums, books, and other activities are provided.
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Outcome
March 4, 2014
• “Halley” has been presented to 1200 viewers to date. • The “Halley” penny theater sets (there are multiple copies)
and the three new stages will be used for decades to come.
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