ASSITEJ Magazine 2019

Green Thumb Theatre,
Nathan Kay, Elizabeth Barrett,
The Code. Photo by Leah Gair
at Chicknskratch Productions.
For me, approaching the work in a way that honors
the complexity of young people’s lives means
starting with myself. I look at my own questions,
and explore whether I think young people have
versions of these questions too. I think they almost
always do. Digging into questions that feel top of
mind to me also means I’m not forced into creating
work that is reactionary. I’m not trying to play
catch up with my work, quickly writing a show
about whatever big topic seems to be leading in
the news.
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For example, in the summer of 2016 I started
thinking about how everyday misogyny has
affected my life from the time I was young.
I started writing The Code, a play for teens
about how entrenched gender dynamics affect
everything from the overall culture in a school
to the nuances of how we relate to one another
personally. When we began marketing the play in
spring of 2017, it proved challenging. It didn’t feel
like there was a succinct term to sum up the play’s
“theme.” In the office, we referred to the piece
as addressing a “small s” social issue, as opposed
to a “capital S” social issue like mental health,
addiction, or bullying. Then, in October of 2017, the
New York Times published the first piece detailing
Harvey Weinstein’s sexual misconduct. Overnight,
conversations about everyday sexism became the
norm, and The Code went from addressing a small s
social issue to addressing a big, bold, flashing neon
social issue.
The play brings up a lot of questions. It answers
almost none of them. How could it? When adults
are just barely starting to grapple with the topic,
it would be dishonest to pretend to young people
that there is an easy, clear-cut path through the
issue. Does that mean we should ignore it, and
only speak to young people about topics we’re
comfortable being the authority on? I think it’s
clear by now that my answer is a categorical no,
and the enthusiastic response I’ve gotten from
young people who have seen The Code tells me I’m
on the right track.
Assitej Artistic Gathering 2019 2–7 September Kristiansand
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