G.J. Ruggiero Productions is an arm of The World Theatre of Children.
The World Theatre of Children is a program where children study and practice the Art of Communication using theatre acting technique as a vehicle. The Art of Acting offers many practical applications to children and can lead them to better express their ideas. Those who have no intention of becoming professional performers also benefit from substantial exploration into the art of communication through Acting.
Essential to any art form is the ability to communicate an idea. Here at WToC we engage children in various activities and improvisational techniques culled from the leading Acting Specialists in history, including: Viola Spolin, Jerzy Grotowski, Kay Carney, Joseph Anthony, Konstantin Stanislavsky, Richard Boleslavsky and George Morrison.
By studying the Mythology, History, Religious Stories and Folk tales of the world, children develop an awareness of other cultures. Their global vision begins to take root in basic values, standards of behavior and principles that are common to all the wonderful pantheon of world culture.
Beginning with simple tasks in presenting and clarifying their ideas, the students study, rehearse, and perform a simple play using the techniques they have acquired. The play is usually an adaptation of a folktale, a myth or story, or a historical event gleaned from the vast repository of these vehicles in world culture. The student studies the culture, the message of the story, and the various ways ideas are communicated from the stage for the benefit of the audience. As each group of children develops the skills of communication, so too does the complexity of their plays advance. This process develops as long as the student stays in the program. Some of our students have been studying and performing for up to 12 years. These children perform full-length plays and musicals.