Silas did his first regular community theater show (that is, it was not an education show). He played one of young Alison’s brothers (Christian) in Fun Home at ShenanArts, directed by Rebekah Bradley Ray. Fun Home is an adaptation of Alison Bechdel’s (as in “the Bechdel test”) memoir of the same name. It deals with homosexuality and self-harm, and is beautiful and weird and funny.
He didn’t even particularly want to do this show. I had mentioned the auditions to him and then we both shrugged and decided to pass, agreeing that he was too old to play the boys and too young to play the men. But then I happened to run into Rebekah at a show at Silverline Theater Exchange, and when I asked how her auditions were going, she told me she was struggling to cast the children. “A lot of parents aren’t exactly comfortable with their kids being in a show that has this kind of material.”
“I have a son who knows the show well and likes the music, but he’s probably too old for this. He just turned 14, and his voice changed last year,” I told her. The brothers are supposed to be about 8 and 10, and the music expects them to have treble voices.
“It probably won’t work for us, but do you happen to have a recording of him singing? I’d hate to ask him to record something special just for this, but if you have anything you can send me, I’d like to consider him,” she said. As it happened, I had a fantastic example of his vocal chops (and some… dance). After a little more back and forth, she offered him the role.
Silas loved this production. He had never been in a play that was mostly adults before, and rose to the challenge. He hadn’t done much part singing, and had only been in one other serious play before. But he diligently worked to learn the music and his lines. He practiced the dances at home every day. Whenever I showed up to collect him from rehearsal, all of the adults told me that he was prepared, focused, kind, and supportive.
He adored the other kids that he got to play with. He made time to make friends with everyone.
We talked a bit about some of the tough stuff in the play, although most of the really hard parts were in scenes he wasn’t in. It might have been a bit much for someone so young, but I think that exploring hard stuff through art is a good practice.
I think he learned a whole lot from watching the adults working. A few people told me he had good “acting fundamentals,” meaning that if they used words like “objective” and “tactic,” he knew what that meant and could apply the concepts correctly. That’s certainly a testament to the education he’s gotten at Studio Wayne.
I’m also proud of how Studio Wayne has taught him to treat any role with respect and commitment. They never make anyone feel “less than” because they have a small or ensemble part, instead taking the time to make sure that every child knows what they are contributing to the whole, and that their work is honored and acknowledged at least as much as the leads’. Silas had a tiny role in this play, but he took it as seriously as he would a star turn.
The process was intense for him, and by the end, he was pretty exhausted, but he loved every minute of it. ShenanArts even does “double tech,” which is something like eight hours long, and when I picked him up from that, he said it was his favorite day.
I’m picky about the projects I let Silas work on. I want to know that he’s working in organizations and with leadership who are following good practices around mental health, body image, and equity. I knew Rebekah a little bit, but I knew her less than anybody else who has directed Silas. She has good vibes, though, and has clearly worked to educate herself on the developments in theater practice that are underway. I trusted my gut more than my head on this one, and I felt very happy with how this experience worked out for him.
As always, I’m so happy and honored that Silas has friends who go out of their way to support him. Myers drove a van load of kids to catch the show one night, and I think Shaymus might have seen it twice. Art is hard. Friends who show up make it easier.
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