diff --git a/stepmania/Themes/default/BGAnimations/ScreenMiniMenuContext underlay.lua b/stepmania/Themes/default/BGAnimations/ScreenMiniMenuContext underlay.lua
index 50f6fd46c0..9fefe35acf 100644
--- a/stepmania/Themes/default/BGAnimations/ScreenMiniMenuContext underlay.lua	
+++ b/stepmania/Themes/default/BGAnimations/ScreenMiniMenuContext underlay.lua	
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-local children = {
+local t = Def.ActorFrame {
 	Def.ActorFrame {
 		OnCommand=function(self)
 			local width=136
@@ -21,30 +21,28 @@ local children = {
 			self:GetChild("right"):zoomtoheight(height+thickness)
 		end;
 
-		children = {
-			Def.Quad {
-				Name="middle";
-				InitCommand=cmd(diffuse,0,0,0,1;shadowlength,6);
-				OnCommand=cmd();
-			};
-			Def.Quad {
-				Name="top";
-				InitCommand=cmd(zoomtoheight,3);
-			};
-			Def.Quad {
-				Name="bottom";
-				InitCommand=cmd(zoomtoheight,3;diffuse,0.2,0.2,1,1);
-			};
-			Def.Quad {
-				Name="left";
-				InitCommand=cmd(zoomtowidth,3;diffusebottomedge,0.2,0.2,1,1);
-			};
-			Def.Quad {
-				Name="right";
-				InitCommand=cmd(zoomtowidth,3;diffusebottomedge,0.2,0.2,1,1);
-			};
+		Def.Quad {
+			Name="middle";
+			InitCommand=cmd(diffuse,0,0,0,1;shadowlength,6);
+			OnCommand=cmd();
+		};
+		Def.Quad {
+			Name="top";
+			InitCommand=cmd(zoomtoheight,3);
+		};
+		Def.Quad {
+			Name="bottom";
+			InitCommand=cmd(zoomtoheight,3;diffuse,0.2,0.2,1,1);
+		};
+		Def.Quad {
+			Name="left";
+			InitCommand=cmd(zoomtowidth,3;diffusebottomedge,0.2,0.2,1,1);
+		};
+		Def.Quad {
+			Name="right";
+			InitCommand=cmd(zoomtowidth,3;diffusebottomedge,0.2,0.2,1,1);
 		};
 	};
 }
 
-return Def.ActorFrame { children = children };
+return t;
diff --git a/stepmania/Themes/default/BGAnimations/_fade out with sound.lua b/stepmania/Themes/default/BGAnimations/_fade out with sound.lua
index 65f494e603..0e719ed5f4 100644
--- a/stepmania/Themes/default/BGAnimations/_fade out with sound.lua	
+++ b/stepmania/Themes/default/BGAnimations/_fade out with sound.lua	
@@ -1,9 +1,7 @@
 local t = Def.ActorFrame {
-	children = {
-		LoadActor( THEME:GetPathS("", "_swoosh normal") ) .. {
-			StartTransitioningCommand=cmd(play);
-		};
-		LoadActor( THEME:GetPathB("", "_fade out normal") );
+	LoadActor( THEME:GetPathS("", "_swoosh normal") ) .. {
+		StartTransitioningCommand=cmd(play);
 	};
+	LoadActor( THEME:GetPathB("", "_fade out normal") );
 };
 return t;
diff --git a/stepmania/Themes/default/BGAnimations/_options to options.lua b/stepmania/Themes/default/BGAnimations/_options to options.lua
index 8d35148e1b..8b4b232e02 100644
--- a/stepmania/Themes/default/BGAnimations/_options to options.lua	
+++ b/stepmania/Themes/default/BGAnimations/_options to options.lua	
@@ -1,9 +1,7 @@
 local t = Def.ActorFrame {
-	children = {
-		LoadActor( THEME:GetPathS("", "_swoosh normal") ) .. {
-			StartTransitioningCommand=cmd(play);
-		};
-		Def.Actor { OnCommand=cmd(sleep,0.5); };
+	LoadActor( THEME:GetPathS("", "_swoosh normal") ) .. {
+		StartTransitioningCommand=cmd(play);
 	};
+	Def.Actor { OnCommand=cmd(sleep,0.5); };
 };
 return t;
diff --git a/stepmania/Themes/default/BGAnimations/_shared background fade in.lua b/stepmania/Themes/default/BGAnimations/_shared background fade in.lua
index 69105e9f80..faca8e44b5 100644
--- a/stepmania/Themes/default/BGAnimations/_shared background fade in.lua	
+++ b/stepmania/Themes/default/BGAnimations/_shared background fade in.lua	
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
-local children = {
-	LoadActor( THEME:GetPathB("","_shared background normal") );
-	LoadActor( THEME:GetPathB("","_fade in normal") ) .. {
-		OnCommand=cmd(playcommand,"StartTransitioning");
-	};
+local t = Def.ActorFrame { };
+
+t[#t+1] = LoadActor( THEME:GetPathB("","_shared background normal") );
+t[#t+1] = LoadActor( THEME:GetPathB("","_fade in normal") ) .. {
+	OnCommand=cmd(playcommand,"StartTransitioning");
 };
 
-return Def.ActorFrame { children=children };
+return t;
diff --git a/stepmania/Themes/default/BGAnimations/_shared edit courses.lua b/stepmania/Themes/default/BGAnimations/_shared edit courses.lua
index 913284bb02..4b48a048ed 100644
--- a/stepmania/Themes/default/BGAnimations/_shared edit courses.lua	
+++ b/stepmania/Themes/default/BGAnimations/_shared edit courses.lua	
@@ -2,32 +2,30 @@ local frame = Def.ActorFrame
 {
 	OnCommand=cmd(x,SCREEN_CENTER_X+180;y,SCREEN_CENTER_Y);--;addx,SCREEN_WIDTH/2;decelerate,0.5;addx,-SCREEN_WIDTH/2);
 	OffCommand=cmd(accelerate,0.5;addx,SCREEN_WIDTH/2);
-	children = {
-		LoadFont("Common", "normal") .. {
-			OnCommand=cmd(horizalign,left;x,-80;y,-130;zoom,0.65;playcommand,"CurrentCourseChanged");
-			CurrentCourseChangedMessageCommand=function(self)
-				local c = GAMESTATE:GetCurrentCourse()
-				if c then
-					self:settext( c:GetDisplayFullTitle() )
-				else
-					self:settext( "" )
-				end
-			end;
-		};
-		LoadFont("Common", "normal") .. {
-			OnCommand=cmd(horizalign,left;x,-80;y,-100;zoom,0.65;playcommand,"CurrentTrailP1Changed");
-			CurrentTrailP1ChangedMessageCommand=function(self)
-				local t = GAMESTATE:GetCurrentTrail( PLAYER_1 )
-				if t then
-					local st = GAMEMAN:StepsTypeToLocalizedString( t:GetStepsType() )
-					local cd = CourseDifficultyToLocalizedString( t:GetDifficulty() )
-					self:settext( st .. ", " .. cd )
-				else
-					self:settext( "" )
-				end
-			end;
-		};
+	LoadFont("Common", "normal") .. {
+		OnCommand=cmd(horizalign,left;x,-80;y,-130;zoom,0.65;playcommand,"CurrentCourseChanged");
+		CurrentCourseChangedMessageCommand=function(self)
+			local c = GAMESTATE:GetCurrentCourse()
+			if c then
+				self:settext( c:GetDisplayFullTitle() )
+			else
+				self:settext( "" )
+			end
+		end;
+	};
+	LoadFont("Common", "normal") .. {
+		OnCommand=cmd(horizalign,left;x,-80;y,-100;zoom,0.65;playcommand,"CurrentTrailP1Changed");
+		CurrentTrailP1ChangedMessageCommand=function(self)
+			local t = GAMESTATE:GetCurrentTrail( PLAYER_1 )
+			if t then
+				local st = GAMEMAN:StepsTypeToLocalizedString( t:GetStepsType() )
+				local cd = CourseDifficultyToLocalizedString( t:GetDifficulty() )
+				self:settext( st .. ", " .. cd )
+			else
+				self:settext( "" )
+			end
+		end;
 	};
 };
 
-return Def.ActorFrame { children = { frame } };
+return Def.ActorFrame { frame };
diff --git a/stepmania/Themes/default/Graphics/_frame 1d.lua b/stepmania/Themes/default/Graphics/_frame 1d.lua
index 79973f4b80..ffd95ec281 100644
--- a/stepmania/Themes/default/Graphics/_frame 1d.lua	
+++ b/stepmania/Themes/default/Graphics/_frame 1d.lua	
@@ -28,13 +28,12 @@ local p, a = ...
 assert( (#p%2) == 1 );
 
 local t = Def.ActorFrame {
-	children = { }
 };
 local Widths = { }
 
 local TextureXPos = 0
 for i = 1,#p do
-	t.children[i] = a .. {
+	t[i] = a .. {
 		Name = tostring(i);
 		InitCommand = function(self)
 			if i < math.ceil(#p/2) then self:horizalign("HorizAlign_Right");
@@ -52,7 +51,7 @@ for i = 1,#p do
 	};
 
 	local Width = p[i];
-	t.children[i].Frames =
+	t[i].Frames =
 	{
 		{ -- state 0
 			{ x=TextureXPos, y=0 },		-- top-left