My first involvement with Artists from Suburbia, and the group’s inaugural production, was a presentation of Roald Dahl’s The Witches, adapted by David Wood. I have enjoyed performing as a children’s magician for several years, so I was excited to take part in a children’s theater piece. I find performing for young audiences very rewarding. Unlike their grown-up counterparts, children have no shame in their natural reactions. When they laugh, they laugh so hard that they cry and snort. I have witnessed children genuinely shriek and gasp in amazement. Additionally, there is often an opportunity to expose children to something new. I am always proud when parents share with me that I was their child’s “first magician”.
Leading up to The Witches, I felt that helping to create children’s theater would bring similar joys. I was especially excited that we would be tackling that specific story. Roald Dahl was a major part of my childhood, both in and out of school, and The Witches was so exciting to me at a young age! It was one of my first exposures to horror and the thrill of being scared. However, during the rehearsal process for the play, I began to worry if the production would truly be suitable for children. I had no doubt that they would be entertained by it: there were puppets, brightly colored costumes and props, and even a well-timed “fart” joke. But would children really “get” the story? Would they be able to understand that sometimes a hand-puppet, a shadow-puppet, and a live actor were all representations of the same character? Would they be confused by live actors pantomiming while their character’s voice came from a speaker across the room? During the performances, I was happy to learn the answer to these and more questions. The children in the audience didn’t just “get it”; they got past the “higher-concept” elements of our production and were able to enjoy the story we told and all of its humor and horror. Perhaps most important of all, they were able to take pride in watching a piece of theater that did not talk down to them but instead challenged them. Isn’t that what we all hope for from good theater? I took away a valuable lesson from this process: never underestimate an audience of children. I gained a refreshed sense of respect for my young audiences at my many local magic shows. I’ve always known they are entertained by my act, but I now know that they are not just passively entertained by my goofy “magic words” and gags or my colorful props. They really understand what they are watching. These children know that I am not a wizard and do not have real magical powers. They accept that I am performing mere illusions, and their entertainment comes from the knowledge that what they perceive to have happened does not match what actually happened. There are children’s entertainers who make a living convinced that all children need to be entertained is a chance to scream their heads off and a couple of cheap, flashy gags. These acts will entertain passively, but ultimately be forgotten. Challenge a child to think and to imagine, and you have given them art that will stay with them. Plus, a well-timed “fart” joke can be invaluable, no matter what age group you are performing for. Ethan Child has worked with AfS before as a puppeteer and a lighting designer. This summer, he will be designing lighting and projections for A Little Princess, or What Happened at Miss Minchin's. More about Ethan's work as a magician here.
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AuthorBlog posts are written by various members of Artists from Suburbia's productions and staff. Archives
July 2017
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