Child-ish

VOICE CHOICE

The phrase ‘going deeper into the material’ in theatre is clearly captured in this excellent Tarragon production with honesty, humour, and poignancy. There were a few gasps of breath from those around me at a surprising twist that shifts the play’s direction. CHILD-ish is a must-see.”

Have adults lost an understanding of the art of play?

Must we adults return to see things from a child’s perspective?

The answer to both of these questions is a resounding yes.

The opening night of writer and creator Sunny Drake’s Child-ish at Toronto’s Tarragon Theatre serves as a genuine reminder for adults to find opportunities to return to play and to see things from a child’s perspective.

Andrea Donaldson directs Drake’s fine script with acute precision, understanding how children view the world in all its intricacies.

Amanda Wong’s engaging set design instantly captures attention, complemented by André du Toit’s soft and inviting lighting. A modular sofa with removable sections remains at the centre. The sofa is arranged in a half-moon shape when viewed from above. Upstage on the back wall is a rectangular frame with the play’s title projected onto it. Laura Warren’s projections highlight key transition points throughout. Adrian Shepherd-Gawinski’s pre-show music selection is top-notch, especially after the audience becomes aware of the production’s trajectory.

The idea of play for adults in Child-ish is reframed through a verbatim theatre lens.

According to The Council of Ontario Drama and Dance Educators:

“Verbatim Theatre involves the creation of theatre drawn from word-for-word interviews with real people…while (students) might be familiar with the genre of the docudrama, they will certainly be familiar with reality television…verbatim theatre is designed to deepen [student/audience] encounter and exploration of reality-based dramas.”

Drake interviewed forty ‘whip-smart and brutally honest’ children and young people up to the age of twelve, asking them questions about life, love and the world.

In this Toronto premiere, Asher Rose plays Sunny Drake. Rose breaks the fourth wall to speak directly to the audience at the top of the show. Rose explains what will happen over the next 65 minutes. Karl Ang, Janelle Cooper, Monique Mojica, and Jordan Pettle serve as the vessels of the young people. The actors connect with a heartfelt passion and genuine ardour to the language of a younger generation, deepening their understanding of life, love, and the world in response to the questions Drake/Rose asks.

Among the myriad of questions that are posed, there were two that I quickly wrote down in my book: a) How are you brave? b) Can you be in love with more than one person? The responses to these two questions certainly made me and the audience listen intently to every word uttered. There are also serious questions and responses about life and death. Some may be troubling for future audience members, so do keep that in mind.

In the Programme Creator’s Note, Drake writes how Child-ish’s process has been profound on his career.

Seeing Child-ish has also profoundly affected my life. Though not a parent, attending this opening night production has not made me regret my 33-year career as an elementary and secondary Catholic school teacher. If anything, the unexpected turn of events in Child-ish’s plot initially made my eyes well up with tears for a moment, remembering how much those kids from the classroom changed my life. I hope (and like to think) some of these young people would say that I also changed their lives.

There are still young people in my life post-retirement.

Child-ish reminds me how important it is to listen to kids, celebrate kids, and sometimes play and think like kids.

That’s why I gave the opening production my personal standing ovation and VOICE CHOICE designation.

Please go and see this wonderful creation.

Running time: approximately 65 minutes with no interval/intermission.

CHILD-ish runs to November 16 in the Extraspace at Tarragon, 30 Bridgman Avenue, Toronto. For tickets: tarragontheatre.com or call

TORONTO PREMIERE

A Tarragon Theatre production in Association with The CHILD-ish collective

CHILD-ish

Created and Written by Sunny Drake

With Contributions from The CHILD-ish Collective

Directed by Andrea Donaldson