A little more credit

In 2012 I was fortunate enough to choreograph a production of Hairspray Jr. at a middle school in my hometown. With Hairspray, came a load of casting challenges. First and foremost, the cast HAS to be diverse. The entire story is centered around equality. It was even in our contract that we "cannot paint any child black". When they put things like that in the contract, you know someone did it! Thankfully, Nyack is a very diverse town and there was no possible way to white wash the cast. Check! Secondly, the lead has to be overweight. So, I learned how to build a fat suit. Check! Thirdly, the show is written for a large ensemble. No problem. One hundred and forty (140) kids auditioned and we cast ALL OF THEM. Thankfully this post is NOT about logistics because that was rough. Double Check. Lastly, there is a cross dressing character. A man (or in this case a boy) dressed as a women, a mother to be exact. This is middle school, one of the worst times in every kids life. Do you remember middle school? Does anyone feel positive about middle school? It's the worst. Add theater kid to that mix. Now add theater boy who has to dress as a woman. We are talking about the perfect storm of bullying here. No kid is going to want to do this.

We get to auditions and in walks a boy, no older than 12, who actually asks for the role of Edna.
He is short, stocky, cute as a button, funny as anything and to top it all off ... he is a bro. He likes sports,
he wears basketball shorts and a pair of ‘kicks’ to school every day. He carries around one of those Nike
knapsacks that doesn’t actually look like it can hold books, but is cooler than a backpack. I should
also mention that this kid can SING, like full blown American Idol... you can't believe what is coming out of this
kids mouth saaaaannnnngggggg! At first I was concerned that he wanted the role just to make fun of it but no.
He really and truly wanted to be Edna.

I hesitated putting any tween, no matter how self confident, in that position. I worried about this kid walking out
in a dress for the first time. I worried about what would happen when his friends started to make fun of him
or when he is made to believe that this role isn’t as ‘cool’ as he thought it would be. I worried it would hurt
his spirit. However, my hesitations couldn’t withstand the obvious… he was perfect for the role. He could sing it,
he could act it and he wanted it. I now had to put my trust in the other 139 kids in the show, not to mention the rest
of the school and the audience.

Throughout the process, R became one of the most well loved and admired kids in the epically giant cast. He was
very proud of his role. He had his high pitched accent and motherly gestures down to a science. He constantly
impressed the production team with his willingness to play and make a fool out of himself. Rather than being
ridiculed by his castmates, he was praised and adored for his humor and talent. Even his guy friends, his ‘bros’,
were complimentary, helping him run lines and choreography in their spare time.

As we headed towards the finish line, opening night, we added the final touches to R's character. A nightgown,
two wigs, a stuffed bra, a red sequined dress with matching boa, and to top it all off, fake lashes and lipstick.
That beat would have made a drag queen proud.

Our first performance was actually a preview for all the fifth grade students in the district. Obviously, R was outstanding
and got some of the biggest laughs in the show, not to mention a few hoots and hollers for the big reveal in the sequined
dress! After the show, we had a talkback and worry wart little Lexie was a bundle of stress. Are they going to make fun
of him? Are they going to ask him something embarrassing? I remember thinking, there is now way this is going to go well.

Hands go flying in the air. ‘Pick me.. Pick me’. A little boy is picked from the crowd, he stands and says:

“R. What does it feel like to play a girl?”

And without any hesitation, without any concern for the effect the answer might have, he declares
loud and proud...

“Powerful!”

The audience….. cheered!

I saw R a few days later while I was dropping off some of the equipment we borrowed from the school. He was strutting down the hallway, greeting his adoring fans. Tall, proud, surrounded by the ‘cool kids’, in his basketball shorts and sneakers.

That day in 2012 I thought to myself, ya know Lexie... perhaps it's time we give kids a little more credit.