There are several misconceptions about theatre for children, yet the (new) Young Peoples Theatre, led by directory Randy White, is disproving each of these with every production at the Greenhouse Theatre Center.
"Child-friendly" means "boring": Just because a play is intended for children doesn't mean it has to be boring. Children's theatre can be just as exciting, imaginative, and thought-provoking as theatre geared toward adults.
Theatre is only for big kids: Theatre is not just for big kids, but for people of all ages. Children's productions are specifically designed to engage and entertain young audiences, but the ones done right will leave the grown-ups entertained too!
Children are too young to understand complex themes: Children are surprisingly capable of understanding complex themes and ideas. Many children's productions tackle serious subjects in a way that is accessible and meaningful to young audiences. Often they can even open the door for children and their grown-ups to talk about topics that perhaps they were not sure how to discuss.
All children's theatre is musical: While musicals are popular in children's theatre, not all productions for young audiences are musicals. Many plays are designed to be performed without music and still appeal to children.
Children's attention spans are too short: Children have shorter attention spans than adults, but they can still sit through full-length productions. A well-produced play for children will hold their attention, engage them, and leave them wanting more!
These misconceptions can prevent people from taking children's theatre seriously and recognizing its value as an art form. The reality is that children's theatre can be just as meaningful and impactful as any other theatre production, and it is an important part of a child's cultural and educational development.
Young Peoples Theatre kicked off the 2022-23 season with the world-premier of Peabody, which was wildly entertaining (and educational!) and followed with a production of Mo Willems' Don't Let Pigeon Drive the Bus. The word about how talented and fun this production is quickly spread and as of now all remaining performances are SOLD OUT.
Their third production will be Dory Fantasmagory and if history is giving us a hint, you may want to grab your tickets sooner than later! Tickets for the limited run are now on sale online.
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