White Plains Kids 'Act It Out' At Library

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. – Leilani Solano performed an adaption of the picture book “Such a Prince” with the other 12 kids participating in the “Act It Out” program at the White Plains Library Thursday.

Children’s librarian Debra Gaffey started the three-week, three-session program about four years ago to gives kids another reason to read.

“It’s to support kids and their reading, and it’s a fun way to get them to do that,” said Gaffey, who adapts a folk tale or picture book into a script for the kids to perform. “I get a lot of the same faces coming back.”

Leilani, 11, is one of the kids who has performed in “Act It Out” several times.

“Even though it’s a short time, the kids enjoy it,” said Leilani’s mother, Eva Solano.

The first week, Gaffey has the kids, who are in grades three through six, play theater and improvisation games, and talk about the story they will act out. This time, Gaffey chose “Such a Prince” because “it has a variety of roles and its funny. I look for things that are going to make the kids laugh. Those seem to be the ones they have the most fun doing.”

During the second meeting, participants select their parts and read through Gaffey’s adapted scripts. At the final meeting, they rehearse and perform the selected piece for friends and family.

“I don’t see a lot of nerves, they’re always excited,” Gaffey said.

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