From a NYTimes interview with Maria Conroy, founder of the "Rory Meyers Children’s Adventure Garden, an eight-acre, $62 million, mostly open-air learning center" at the Dallas Arboretum:
I WAS STRUCK BY A PUBLIC REMARK YOU MADE : “MANY CHILDREN ARE AFRAID OF NATURE.” WHY DO YOU BELIEVE THAT?We see a lot of children here, and we have watched many times a butterfly come flying at a group of 10-years-olds, and they scream and duck because they’re afraid it’s going to sting or bite them. If you don’t live where there are flowers, you don’t see butterflies. They’re afraid of the squirrels running around. And they’re terrified of the bees. They don’t know why they’re on that flower and the difference between themselves and that flower, as far as that bee is concerned.
hmmm bee's and actors make the same observation.
ReplyDeleteWhen you do theater in education and play an evil type, a proportion of 2 to 4 year old's will have to be instantly removed screaming as soon as you hit the stage. Older children are moving along a wider emotional register but one notable feature is that in almost every performance a few brave souls will shift from a position in the audience move at speed into the performance zone and grab a cast member tugging at clothing.
They appear to be checking you are actually real and then relaying that information back to the uncertain group that are thrilled but unsure exactly what is going on and how things are going to play out.
As you are ignoring their actions and staying on script they start to understand at speed the nature of the game.
They have no cultural experience of watching a live performance.