When I was eight, an opera company came to my school to present an assembly about their work. I remember sitting on the floor in the middle of the gym completely transfixed by their presentation. Of particular interest was their explanation of how to stay safe on stage. Before one scene, an actor showed us a starter pistol and explained that they used it because it made a realistic sound of a gun, but did not have any bullets, which, obviously would be very dangerous. He further explained that for added protection the person firing the pistol would not point it at another actor, but aim it in the air. And with that, this troupe presented a scene they called "I Hate Men" (which may or may not have included the song of the same name from Kiss Me, Kate). The scene was about a female teacher who had grown so disgusted with her male counterparts that she shoots each of them while singing her song; the men wound up in a cartoon-like dog pile on one side of the stage. I was at once entranced and completely horrified, but not by what had transpired (which was horrible and surprising given the context, even in 1985). Rather what offended me was the idea that firing the pistol in the air was in any way believable. I knew there had to be a better way.
Armed with my retractable four-color ballpoint pen, I opened my Trapper Keeper and proceeded to write my own version of "I Hate Men". I cast classmates in the roles and wrote their lines assigning each character their own color The plan was to perform the play at recess, but it never happened. But I kept writing: anything and everything that I could. Sometimes I wrote scripts that my friends and I would film using a VHS video camera that the kid up the street had; I loved doing research projects and creative writing assignments. I also wrote short comics based on doodles I drew in my notebooks. Writing also helped me cope with losing my hair just a couple years later and I kept a journal all the way through my freshman year of college. Now, while I write much less, I have built a career around mentoring young artists and writers. It wasn't a conscious decision, but something that progressed naturally as I made my way through the world. And it all stems from that one moment sitting on the gymnasium floor watching an opera company who thought enough to share their work - perhaps more importantly, their passion - with young people.
My oldest son had a similar experience about a year ago when my wife took him to see his first live theatre performance: a touring company presentation of If You Give a Mouse a Cookie - one of his favorite books at the time. There were other picture book adaptations presented that afternoon and the one that he was most excited about was Borreguita and the Coyote. He enjoyed the story so much that he spent the next few days drawing pictures of the it, recreated it with his friends at day care, and eventually set up his own stage in the playroom in our house. One afternoon, my wife and I, along with our two other children, were directed where to sit, handed a program, and treated to a monologue about how the play would work - more a lecture on directing the piece than an actual performance.
This past Sunday, my son told me that he is writing a play about Star Wars (his newest interest) and wants to act it out with his friends at day care. Apparently, he asked his pre-K teacher if they could perform the play there, but he was not satisfied with her response. So, my wife and I have been recruited to help him make the play a reality. He is determined to make this happen and we're considering some ways that might work.
It is fun to think that my son and I had such similar responses to our earliest encounters with theatre. The resulting creativity and passion are wonderful benefits that I hope everyone might experience, if not for themselves then certainly for a child whom they accompany to the theatre. And I encourage all artists, if they are not already doing so, to share their work and their creative process with young people. It has an unbelievable impact and potential to benefit to that young person's life.
So, with that I wish everyone a very happy World Day of Theatre for Children and Young People!
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