Notes from the Underground, or A First Foray into Directing Children's Theater, or The Hardest Thing I've Ever Done

What a ridiculously quick first rotation! And what a challenging one!

My first few weeks in Ithaca have been consumed by a little play called THE ANT AND THE GRASSHOPPER. And while I like to fancy myself a director whose sense of humor and wit displays at least some sense of sophistication and intelligence, I had to consciously put all that aside to direct a show that was advertised to be enjoyed by anyone over the age of 4.

Let it be said that I have no personal knowledge of what a four-year-old likes or does not like, as I have not had the opportunity to spend much time around anyone at that particular developmental stage. So my first rotation was spent making several assumptions about the mind of a toddler that were potentially way off base. The one thing I did know was that my old standby--irony--was not going to play well to the little tykes.

With only a week and a half of rehearsal, I set about approaching the play as I would any piece of text by Williams or Shakespeare. I decided to focus our collective energies into creating a world of broad strokes and colorful costumes rather than spending any time on subtlety or subtext. And, most importantly, I think, whenever I thought the play was getting boring, I put in a chase scene or a pop song and dance number.

I focused on creating the world out of found objects. I wanted the kids to see this play and know that they could go home and make it themselves. The anthill was a pile of sheets and blankets set up to look like some kind of living room fort. The actors playing ants wore colanders on their rears and helmets on their heads (complete with springs for antennae). The flowers were made of plastic plates and swimming pool noodles. In the end, the design is perhaps the most vividly realized of any show I've conceived.

Add to that a soundtrack complete with David Bowie, the Jackson Five, Mariah Carey and Abba, and I think what ultimately happened was a real theatrical experience for these kids.

Granted there are moments when the play gets too "talky" and the kids start squirming in their seats. But put on a piece of music, and they're suddenly right back in the action, clapping along and shouting out directives to the characters.

The experience was a difficult one for me. But the end result was worth the struggles during the process. Perhaps the big pay-off came when I walked into the theater to see a lone kid on the stage with his teachers. He was blind, and the teachers were letting him feel the set so that he knew what he would be "watching" in a few minutes. They then took him backstage to the actors, where he felt all of the actors' faces while each of them described what he or she was wearing and who his or her character was. That child's life was brightened, I think, in a very simple way. And it made me remember what was at the core of the creation of theater to begin with.

I can't wait to see what happens in Rotation 2!

Best,
Kerry