On Sunday, Oct. 25, Imagination Stage Artistic Director Janet Stanford and I joined a group of 100 or so parents and children at the French Embassy attending a puppet show presented as part of the Kids Euro Festival 2009. The show, A Twist on an Old Story: Pinocchio, ran about 30 min. and was performed by Daniele Contu, who operated 4 puppets during the show. Janet and I were pleased to note that this was not the typical telling of Pinocchio, but, as the performer explained afterward, retold as if from a teenage Pinocchio’s point of view. We were amazed to see several new characters added to this version, including the figure of Death (complete with silver sythe), the Devil and even the Pope. In this free adaptation, Pinocchio actually kills his father, then repents hysterically and finally goes to Hell to try to retrieve him. After meeting the Pope and being forgiven for his sins, the boy and his father return to earth, “reborn.” While the show was advertized for ages 6-10, there were very small children in the audience and we noted that most of the audience appeared to be a mix of nationalities. The children were completely engaged with the puppets and the storytelling and because it was very physical and comic at times, no one appeared uncomfortable or bored with the action of the play.
Is it because in America, we have been so “Disneyfied” that we expect all stories for kids to be sugar coated? Do we as a culture merely expect art to affirm and reinforce what we already believe? And why are we so afraid for our children to see characters like Death or the Devil in our shows? Doesn’t going to the theatre, and having your child question what they have seen offer a great opportunity to discuss the very topics that we parents and teachers find hardest to address with our kids? How do we uncover children’s deepest fears and wildest fantasies? How do we help them to recognize that while everybody occasionally has bad thoughts, we do not have to act upon them. And a show that exposes the horror of patricide to a 6-year old may actually be a healthy way to expel that little devil that whispers in your ear when Dad says “no” to some toy or privilege that you cannot have! Could it be that a somewhat shocking show such as A Twist on an Old Story: Pinocchio offers a safety valve for young imaginations? Perhaps if Oedipus had seen this play when he was little, for example, his infamous tragedy could have been averted!
–Kathryn Chase Bryer, Associate Artistic Director, Imagination Stage
During the post-show discussion, we observed that the international audience did not appear to be bothered by the sight of such characters as Death or the Devil, or even by the quite brutal act of Pinocchio killing his father by beating him with a stick. The audience seemed to understand that this take on the story is totally from the artist’s perspective. It is true that in the original story, Pinocchio “kills” Gepetto by disappointing him time and time again until in the end, he reforms and does go to great lengths to save his father from the belly of the whale. While I do not think that an American audience would be so accepting of such a beloved tale taken to such extremes, we were fascinated to see that at this European festival, the audience was quite accepting of the idea. We wonder why this is?
Tags: Artistic Director
