Congratulations to the cast and crew of Urinetown, this year’s high school musical. What an experience—an exciting, exhilarating, entertaining production. While I am always impressed by the school’s productions, believe me this weekend’s performance was no exception, the high school production of Urinetown was so very funny, and comedy is hard.
Sitting in the audience, thinking about the connections that I am confident the students were making between the show they had worked on for six weeks and the world they live in, I knew that their dedication as artists and their commitment as citizens were aligning and that this was energizing to them, adding depth and perspective to their efforts. I reflected on the incredible talents of the adults who work so very hard to get the cast and crew to the point where they can shoulder the responsibility of running the show, from the rise of the curtain to the last round of applause. Such talent!
One task that the director and teachers have, that we don’t discuss very often, is the ability to choose appropriate plays or musicals, and classroom texts, for that matter. This is a skill that requires a keen understanding of child development, of the needs and abilities of a particular group, and an attention to the wider world. Urinetown’s tone and structure speak to the cynical streak one might find in a teenager. Mildly naughty, atypical, poking fun at the form, all feathers that tickle the teen funny bone. An excellent choice. The middle school play, James and the Giant Peach, a fanciful adventure for younger students and a journey to independence with one’s closest friends for our early adolescents. The Laramie Project, moving to all, a stretch for the high school students, but so important to their journey in search of identity and justice.
As parents, we also make these choices. What books can my children read? Which ones are appropriate? Which movies can my child watch? All of her friends have seen it, can she? There is so much out there to read and to watch that I encourage families to hold off on allowing children to get too far ahead of themselves. A healthy stretch in terms of content or complexity may lead to growth and maturation. Too great a distance between where a child is and where the media brings them can create frustration and confusion.
A last thought on this. Our amazing librarians are quite skilled at matching books to children and are always willing to practice this skill, I cannot encourage you strongly enough to take advantage of this. Also, I wonder if the LREI Exchange, is a place to share favorite family flicks?