I want to qualify that question a little bit. For the sake of discussion, let's not include plays that are obviously inappropriate thematically for teenagers or sexually adventurous or filled with excessive profanity. (I do have this inkling dream of writing and producing a one-act play called
"David Mamet's 'Glengarry Glen Ross: Middle School Edition'" in which all of the cursing is subbed out with really gentle, child-appropriate 'naughty' words. It's probably just me, but I would find that hilarious.)
What I am referring to are masterful, amazing plays that you believe just cannot be pulled off credibly by most teenagers. Yes, there are always exceptions, and yes, we want to challenge our students to rise to the occasion by NOT always picking easy written-for-teens topical parody plays (most of which I hate). I loved really pushing my students to embody credible adults in
Twelve Angry Men, and a number of them said it was their favorite show to work on.
But what about other shows? Are there any that teenagers, even very talented ones, just cannot pull off very credibly, or that is just too much sophistication in the script for even the most gifted 16-year-olds to do justice to it?
------------------------------
Steven Slaughter
English/Theatre
Rosslyn Academy
Nairobi, Kenya
"Be joyful, though you have considered all the facts." - W Berry
------------------------------