Monday, April 14, 2008
What's the point, Mom?
chicagotribune.com: "Why do we take our kids to the theater? For entertainment? For a dose of culture? For the 60-75 minutes we won't be hearing them burp the whole darn alphabet?"
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6 comments:
I guess the educational kids plays are getting somewhere, but I wouldn't want my kid to hate theatre, and I think if I was constantly taking them to shows that were all about the morals and not at all about the show, they might. I think a good balance of both is healthy, which can maybe also be said for adults? There's alot to be said for heavily political plays that get you thinking, but there's also something to be said for just going to see Wicked.
Educational plays are great for kids, mainly because it keeps them out of other general audience plays. There's nothing worse, ever, than children under crappy parental supervision.
So by all means, keep producing children's theatre.
Theater has an incredible power to teach the audience a message, moral, or theory. However, i would hate to see the youth only perceive it as an educational setting, where they are supposed to learn. i agree that a balance is needed. But overall it should be whatever the individual wants it to be. they should not be taught preconceptions of what the theatre is, but rather discover it for themselves.
The theatre has been used to teach, inspire, and bring up issues for as long as it has existed. Young, impressionable children should be strongly encouraged to attend the theatre.
... As long as you watch out for the content you are exposing you children to. Maybe not Avenue Q.
haha yes.. some parents who took their kids to see Avenue Q got really offended after the first number. I know there are great educational theatre, but I also know that there are productions where it is only for commercial purposes. I've heard productions where they sold the dolls or the figure actions that are from the shows that have been priced ridiculously. By all means, we can make money out of educational theatre, but it should not be the primary choice.
For some odd reason I highly doubt that most shows now on Broadway are for parents to take their children to just so they can start talking to thier children about life lessons. Yes, all of them have moral lessons and they certainly can start using expamles from them. But most shows are just meant to give these life lessons in a different way then by your parents trying to teach you something from a performance of Wicked. Parents should not be taking their children to see theatre for the sole reason of being able to talk to them.
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