HowlRound: In my last three posts, I made the modest proposal that There Are No Children, and defined some of the unbreached borders of the discipline. What things are not “children’s theatre?” Taking a broad spectrum performance studies approach, I looked at diverse examples of performance by and for children. These examples were a far-spread range: how children perform sexuality from Shirley Temple to Toddlers in Tiaras; how children perform intelligence and capability from spelling bee champions to Toddlers in Mensa; how children perform nationality from protests of the ethnic studies ban in Arizona to mock Olympics in China. This was an artificial and somewhat arbitrary scope of study, and, I admit, focused heavily on my own obsessions and opinions. Isn’t that what blogs are for?
17 comments:
I really liked the assertion that there is "No Such Thing as Children's Theatre". It's difficult to know exactly what we should be showing to kids, especially when now with the internet we have almost no idea what they can get up to with a tablet, a good internet connection, and a curious mind. I remember being eight years old and begging my mother to let me watch 'Lord of the Rings' with her -- which she eventually relented to, though she made sure I watched the behind the scenes video before we watched the film on a tiny DVD player screen. I feel as if it's okay to expose children to all different sorts of emotions and stories, however sad or difficult, if your children are accurately and well prepared for the topics theatre makers are going to discuss with them. If there's proper education and form after the show, then I find there should be no problem with kids exploring death or despair.
I work with kids (ranging from 8-10), and have for several years at this point and if there's one thing I've learned is that they know a lot more than you would think. While they might not know the intricate details of topics like sexuality and violence, they are not sheltered. Kids from a wide variety of backgrounds had an expansive knowledge of what's going on in the world. Yeah, they would sing Frozen constantly, but they would also discuss things like how girls are treated differently than boys, peer pressure, and other pressures to feel pretty / conform to different beliefs (at age 9!). In our lives, there are going to be things that scare us, but we ultimately learn from them. As we grow older, we figure out why those things scared us. Maybe it was because it jumped out at us, or maybe it was that the scene was incredibly gruesome. Here's where the extremes come in. There is a line to what you should let your kid watch (however, you as a parent should know your kid! That’s your job!!); a line to what should be included in theater directed at young audiences. And let me tell you that that line is a lot dirtier than you think. If you're completely redesigning your art to cater to kids then you're doing it wrong. Kids should be exposed to things that will push their mental capacity. In conclusion: kids are wicked smart. They might not get all of your art, but they will get something from it. Let them.
I think this is an interesting gateway into the more widely-applicable question of what children should and shouldn't be allowed to see. What I thought was most unique about this article, however, was that it was mostly concerned with children's emotions when viewing such material, which is a topic that isn't discussed as much as it should be. The author raised a solid point that allowing children to recognize such emotions as mourning and sorrow isn't necessarily a bad thing, as when dealing with topics like death, but can also easily cross the line into traumatizing territory. On the other hand, children can sometimes have a much more objective view of sensitive topics like this because they don't attach the same emotional connotation as we do-- although it's fairly obvious that gruesome and gory things are too violent for children regardless of emotions simply because they're too intense. As far as children's theater goes, I think the more pertinent problem there is catching the attention of a younger audience. I wouldn't take any kid to a production of Titus mostly because I don't think they would really find it interesting.
The taboos of children's theater runs a very high list, yet as a performer in a well-respected children's theater company in my hometown, I would have to say that the opportunities are endless for creating a meaningful theatrical experience for people of all ages. What theater companies need to remember in creating shows that are "age-appropriate" is to take this expression with a grain of salt, that is, with the prior knowledge that children very often experience the equivalent emotions of adults, but on a perhaps a smaller scale. Certain situations both sexual or violent in nature are naturally forbidden in any playroom across America, and while the debate as to whether children should either be exposed to them or not is uncertain, it goes without saying that in our culture it is unacceptable for children under a certain age to mention these topics. When the author mentions shows like LES MIZ JR., one must take into consideration that this particular show, like so many others, contains complex plots and confusing subject matter/historical detail that are beyond a child's comprehension. Intricate plots, may people find, are hard to follow whether you are young are old, but this doesn't mean that the overarching themes of LES MIZ are necessarily beyond a child's understanding.
This is a pretty bold article, and honestly I can get behind a lot of what the author is saying. I really liked the statement where she mentioned that she wished that all theatre was less "ruly", however I'm just not sure how realistic these statements are in the current economic standing of the theatrical business. The majority of ticket sales for children's theatre's come directly from parents, family, and friends of family. Speaking from personal experience when I previously acted in children's theatre, I knew many kid's parents that just wanted to come see a Sunday matinee of very appropriate material, definitely not some enlightening material, as sad as it may sound. While I definitely think something with a bit more social meaning with child performers involved behind it could definitely appeal to a niche market, I'm just not quite sure that children's-theatre-down-the-street is ready to undergo a drastic change and shock the parents who pay their bills.
The concept that "there are not children" in theater is something that really caught my eye because I grew up in a "children's theater" with that ideal. I started performing at Hoboken Children's Theater when I was seven, but from the first day of auditions it was clear that when I walked into rehearsal I was an adult, and I was to act that way, regardless of how I was treated in the outside world. Throughout my childhood we pushed the boundaries of what shows kids my age should be doing, and it was presented to the parents and the children that if you weren't comfortable that was fine, but that then it was time to move on. The director of my program received a lot of criticism for this approach, but I loved it, and I continue to support it. the past few summers I have taught seven and eight year olds for her, and a a staff member I have seen the standard that she sets for her employees, and thus the standard that is set for the children. I see a lot of myself in the kids that I teach, in the way that they grow into more mature people in a short span of time. I would encourage all children's organizations to push the boundaries, and expect more of kids, because I have found that they are almost always capable of rising to the occasion, we just have to ask.
The past two summers I have worked as a lighting designer for a children's dance company that had a Christian spin. At the beginning of each show, in the opening, audiences were told to silence their cell phones and things of that ilk, and then were told to thank God for all his blessings and to enjoy the show. This past summer, after the show, one particularly angry Jewish father confronted the manager of the company, exclaiming how angry he was that his son was forced to dance for Jesus. His 1st grade son was not dancing for Jesus, he was dancing because he wanted to dance. Children's theatre ought to function on this belief. Kids are not doing theatre to make a statement or to change the world, they are doing it because they like to sing and dance. So what if the show is Les Mis and was written with far reaching social implications? If the kids are up on stage enjoying themselves, it shouldn't matter what the implications are. Again with hypotheticals, but what if the actors aren't off book, what if the actors go off scipt? They can't pack their own backpacks. Why should we go into children's theatre expecting to see Globe-quality Shakespeare? Often, the theatre experiences that stick with us the most are the ones that go beyond the expectation we have. Immersive theatre functions solely on audiences having no idea what they're getting into, and just forcing them to run with it. I'm not saying children should take audiences through abandoned warehouses and the like, but I think we should check what we expect when we see children's theatre. The kids have had no time to consider the social implications of their performance, which is the most rare thing you could ever find an actor. Don't just let that survive, let that thrive.
It’s understandable that parents make strict decisions on the things they shelter their children from; the line can often be delicately up to interpretation on how much is too much. What is absurd is that “children’s theater” has become simply theater that refuses to deal with the commonalities of life, such as death, at. Oh yes, some shows will allow a character to go missing, thus signifying “death”. But children themselves aren’t allowed to die on stage in front of other children. Many people say that this is because developmentally children aren’t ready to handle that kind of information. I beg to differ, at young ages is where we absorb the most information, children’s theater represents a wonderful opportunity for us to impart on our young many of the realities of life in a controlled setting. Children don’t understand metaphor, or the significance of things. In order for them to learn, we must allow ourselves to be as frank with them as possible.
Sometimes you should be extra careful of what you say or do infant of children, but talking about death should not be one of them. People die all the time and it’s especially hard on children when they don’t fully understand the reality of death or have anyone willing enough to talk about it to them. I feel like sometimes parents go way too over the top trying to protect their children from the “horrors” of the world when really these things they are protecting them from are very common place. And children are going to have to figure these things out eventually, and I think doing it in a theatrical setting is a great place. I remember when I was a kid, I remembered theatre so much more than I remember anything else because of the spectacle and, especially if it was a musical, the songs. I think it’s a great controlled setting that should be used more to help children understand the complexities of life as they grow up. I’m not saying they should be exposed all at once, but I feel like they are being too protected.
Okay, story time: I worked at a summer camp last summer and it was one of those school-like summer day camps with classes and teachers. There was an American Girl doll themed week at camp and one of the girls got a bit upset when another girl talked about her American Girl doll theoretically dying. The issue didn't last long, and was quickly resolved. But that night, the little girl told her parent what happened so the next day we had to deal with an angry parent with a special request to make sure that her daughter and this other girl never interacted and additionally that death and dying would never be brought up at camp. I was put in charge of this separating the children. A couple of weeks later, I saw the two girls talking at lunch and another counselor started freaking out and told me to separate them immediately. The girls were actually pretty happy, playing and eating and chatting about whatever. So I told the counselor that I'm not going to separate these children because of a parent freaking out. What I got out of this experience is that summer camps and childrens' theater and other things of that nature appear to be geared more towards parents than towards the kids. With a lot of camps, it's obvious to everyone, including the kids, that they only reason they're there is because the parents have to work. Children are a lot smarter and more capable than we give them credit for. To censor such minuscule things in childrens' theater is more to satisfy the parents than the kids and in my opinion, the kids come first.
What cannot be said in children’s theatre is a very interesting question. I designed for a local children’s theatre in a very prominent part of Charlotte, which means I encountered many rich families. A few showed concern in the shows we were putting on, most just sent a nanny to drop off and receive the child from rehearsal everyday. Of course it didn’t matter, as we stuck to pretty vanilla shows. This changed however, when we did a production of The Little Mermaid Junior, featuring a ten-year-old Singaporean girl as Ariel. It was this girls first time with the company and she had a beautiful voice. One dress rehearsal however this mom, no doubt upset that this new girl came in and stole the role from her daughter commented to another mom that she “had been so concerned with an Asian Ariel because of the wig, but it seemed to turn out alright. You just don’t see a lot of Asian mermaids,” all of these Caucasian moms laughed and commented. Sadly, the girls mother was within ear shot and heard the whole ordeal. A lot of tension arouse and the little girl did not audition for any future shows and I don’t blame her.
This story is important because the question isn’t “What cannot be said in a children’s theatre,” clearly these women had no problem openly discussing the race of this little girl, saying that there are no mermaids of her color, when mermaids don’t exist in the first place. The question is how are we going to let our children learn about these issues. Our Ariel’s mother had to go home and explain to her child why she no longer felt comfortable with her auditioning for our company anymore. All the while diversity could have been shown to these children on the stage, both the importance of it, and the detrimental results from a lack of it. Just like the masks in this article used to familiarize these children with death, you cannot shelter children from the horrors of reality. You can control when the conversation about these realities is had, you can control when they are enlightened. The earlier we enlighten, the better.
I absolutely adore this. I truly agree that we, as humans, need to rethink what we dub useful in the vein of 'children's theater'. Growing up I always appreciated that my parents didn't gloss over the hard stuff. They might not have explained all of the complexities, but they spoke to me like an adult, and I truly believe I'm much better for it. I think it's sad to present children with fluffy non-sensical shows ALL the time. Don't get me wrong, the non-sensical stuff can be important too, to remind them to be silly and have some imagination, some whimsy. However, I don't think that a show with real things to think about would be anything but great for kids. I also really like the community inclusive theater concept created by Zarco. Even better than presenting children with theater that speaks about reality, is engaging children to be the ones speaking the reality. This could be such a great opportunity for kids to process and then decide how to talk about very real things in this world that they otherwise might not.
I worked for seven years (throughout middle and high school) in the theatre department at my school. The closest we ever came to breaking out of the "children's theatre" mindset was when we performed Stuart Little, because (gasp!) there was what could loosely be described as sexual tension between Stuart and his bird friend, Margalo. It was limiting, to say the least.
I, unlike many of the other girls I performed and produced these shows with, was raised by parents who sought to challenge my maturity. They did not shy away from exposing me to the best and worst and rowdiest the world had to offer. My very small, insular all girls school provided a very Pollyanna view of the world, and the shows we put on did nothing but reinforce the notion that our prince was coming. My parents, thank goodness, saw that even The Life of Brian had merit, and the Jaws could just as readily teach me about the dangers of ignorance of one's surroundings just as well as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory could.
This is a very interesting question. My life has had sort of a weird balance with this, where my mom was very no-nonsense, but my school was what we called "Nurtureville." I personally side a little more with my mom on this one. I, myself, was a child who wanted all of the answers and hated to not have all the information (obviously, look at me now), so I asked a lot of questions. When I got the answers I wanted, I didn't feel like my childhood was being slighted, I felt like I was able to understand the world around me better. The things I think I might avoid at least telling my children, would be the details of adult struggles, such as finances or job troubles or bad relationships. Those are the only things that I look back and wish that I didn't understand as a child, because I might have been a little less worried and a little more carefree if I only had the worries of a child in my head. So I think when we look at the issue of children's theatre, it is important to keep in mind that if they are responsible with the information, children can handle a lot more than we think, but in the end, we should always let them be children and enjoy the time before they have to face the adult world.
This is a very interesting debate, and, I think, one in which our own childhood history and personal experience will change our answers significantly. I was raised in a household with no TV, no candy, no cartoons or video games. We weren't allowed to say “stupid” or “shut up”. It was sheltered in many ways—Yet my parents read us all of the greek myths, the original Pinocchio, Hans Christian Andersen and Brothers Grimm. All of these deal with death, abduction, corruption and transformation. Cinderella cut off her sister’s heels and toes, Snow White was strangled with a corset, Hansel and Gretel baked a witch, and heroes abandoned wives, cut off heads, and ripped enemies limb from limb. Yet in the context of these stories, none of this was strange or horrifying. In “children’s theatre,” I think the most important thing is that any themes dubbed controversial (yet will be present in adult life) are still included, but introduced in such a way that it is still part of a story. Childhood stories already introduce these things to us as children- and a theatre piece is simply one more way of bringing those stories to life.
When I was about seven I made a promise to myself that I wouldn’t forget that children can understand more than most adults think they can. Now, eleven years later, I’m aware that seven-year-old me didn’t understand the world quite as well as seven-year-old me thought, but I stand by the idea that the intelligence of children tends to be underestimated. I think there is an idea in the culture I’ve grown up in that children need to be protected from difficult and complex issues for as long as possible. In my experience, that doesn’t work out so well since you can’t decide when something will go wrong and a child will be exposed to something before they are considered ready by society. Talking about things like death in the context of a play is actually good for children in my mind. They will be better off getting a basic understanding of death in a safe context rather than needing to grapple with it all at once when someone they know dies. I think Zarco Guerrero’s work is a great example of when complex topics help children. The children he performs for are growing up in a world where they have to deal with the lasting effects of colonialism. They see problems caused by colonialism every day, I think it would be a disservice to them to try to protect them from something that explains their reality and lets them understand where the issues they see stem from. Whether or not we like it, children live in the real world. They overhear discussions of world problems in the news. Complex and difficult things happen in children’s lives. I agree that there is no point in sticking to overly simplistic stories when performing for children, they are better off having the opportunity to see plays about real world issues that will one day, or already, affect them.
Most of us "theatre people" grew up with some sort of children's theatre in our life. For me, it started in Boca Raton, at SHOWTIME Performing Arts. Children's theatre has definitely played a large roll in my life. However, I was definitely exposed to unrated material while studying there. Our teachers were less than professional. Though I do feel that I owe a lot to what I learned there in regards to theatre, I also feel that I was exposed to topics that were inappropriate to me as a child, or young teenager. In the moment I felt that it was so cool that an adult wanted to share all of their ideas and thoughts with me, however, now I realize that there is a line that needs to be drawn from adult to child, teacher to student, in regards to professionalism, and focus. I enjoyed working in children's theatre, and still do, as I have just finished another summer a theatre counselor. As I move forward I feel that it's important to keep focused on the work, and to instill in those younger and my peers an idea of boundaries and professionalism, because at least where I grew up, "children's" theatre did and does exist.
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