Remember Being 10?

Ten Westborough High School Center Stage Theatre Company members prepared for this weekend's show by sharing childhood memories.

Of being 10, specifically.

The characters in "The Hundred Dresses," based on a Pulitzer Prize-winning children's book, are all 10 years old, with a few adults as well, WHS Drama Director Anne Slotnick said.

"We did a lot of talking about what they remember about being that age. It's new enough to them that they can tap into it really quickly," she said.

The performances are at 7:30 p.m. Friday, and 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday in the high school auditorium. Tickets are $8, and free for ages 12 and under.

"This play is aimed at younger audiences, so it's written to be seen by five to 12 year olds," Slotnick said.

"It's the first time we've done a piece like this. I'm really excited about it. I wanted to do something different this spring, and I wanted to expose them to a genre that they don't really know much about, and it's not something that I teach.

"I like it because the premise of theater for young audiences is children can understand big topics, and heavy topics. You tell them in a way that engages kids, but you don't dumb anything down."

The play is "about learning to stand up for yourself and what you believe in. It has an anti-bullying aspect to it, so we're tying it into some of the Rachel's Challenge stuff," Slotnick said.

The audiences will "really enjoy seeing life through the eyes of a 10 year old. Because so much of what 10 year olds experience -- at least in this play -- is so new and so refreshing. The things that we take for granted as adults ...," she said.

The cast is included in that.

"They write letters back and forth in this play. We had to talk about what a letter is," Slotnick said.