As the rehearsals move forward, I continually discover new things about the script and about theater that weren't apparent in the initial production.
We're a few weeks into rehearsals for the 2nd production of my Christmas play, Nobody Goes Caroling Anymore, and I'm discovering many things about the script that I hadn't realized either in previous rewrites or even when I saw the debut production last year.
For one thing, the play is written for a cast of seven, with one elderly lady, a young couple (teens or early twenties), and the other four adults of some age. One thing I've discovered over the years is that today's youth does enjoy playing various parts and ages, but is really most comfortable when playing themselves.
In this play, I have double cast the show, with one cast of adults and two teens (13 and 15), and the other cast entirely of middle-school students (age 10 to 13). And while teens and pre-teens love to watch movies with "hunks" and "babes" and may have fantasy relationships with movie stars, they're really quite uncomfortable with the thought of onstage relationships.
Additionally, their real-life experiences have simply not included many opportunities for making ethical choices or dealing with serious health issues, for example. So if a script has too much of such things, the younger actors are merely going through motions and saying lines without really being able to bring a lot to the character.
So I'm looking at how to ensure future casts (if it is presented in a middle or high school) can understand the complexities of my intentions and still have fun with the show. Some more rewriting is certainly in order, and I'd like to simplify some of the language, but still leave it at a level for adults to perform without feeling like they're participating in anything too fluffy.
