{"id":1588,"date":"2012-05-29T12:01:39","date_gmt":"2012-05-29T19:01:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/libernetics.com\/?p=1588"},"modified":"2012-05-29T16:56:42","modified_gmt":"2012-05-29T23:56:42","slug":"to-infinity-and-beyond-phoebe-hearsts-production-of-toy-story","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/libernetics.com\/?p=1588","title":{"rendered":"To Infinity and Beyond! Phoebe Hearst’s Production of “Toy Story”"},"content":{"rendered":"

Last Friday my wife and I went to see “Toy Story<\/a>” at Phoebe Hearst Elementary School<\/a>\u00a0(hosted by the\u00a0Phoebe Hearst 4th R<\/a> after school program)\u00a0. \u00a0We went with some friends of ours, including the parents of one of the kids in the play. \u00a0According the program there were 42 kids total. \u00a0A cast of dozens, as it were.<\/p>\n

I don’t recall ever having seen a serious review of an elementary school play. \u00a0I’m going to take a wild guess and say that’s because school plays with K-6 graders don’t\u00a0warrant\u00a0the attention of critics. \u00a0Putting it\u00a0another\u00a0way, no one would expect to see anyone construct a critical dialog that compares an elementary school play with a play that is professionally produced and cast with experienced actors.<\/p>\n

In marketing one often hears the phrase “value proposition.” \u00a0It’s a way of talking about the benefits that accrue to a consumer of a product. \u00a0People buy things because it serves a purpose, and the “value proposition” \u00a0is a way of\u00a0describing that purpose.<\/p>\n

Well just for a moment let’s “suspend our\u00a0disbelief” and do a head-to-head value proposition comparison to Phoebe Hearst’s “Toy Story” and (for the sake of argument) “B” Street Theater’s production of “In Absentia .”<\/p>\n

A play consists of the following elements:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Action<\/li>\n
  2. Dialog<\/li>\n
  3. Actors acting<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    The value proposition exists individually in each audience member’s subjective appreciation, but let’s distill it down to:<\/span><\/p>\n

      \n
    1. E<\/span>ntertainment<\/li>\n
    2. Insight<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      In other words any given audience member has the opportunity to actively participate in the enjoyment of the play (whatever that means to them) and can have the added benefit of recognizing something useful about themselves, their society, or the larger world they live in. \u00a0In this context “useful” means something that allows them the benefit of self-actualization. \u00a0It could be a small thing, a mere sentiment, or an\u00a0epiphany\u00a0that changes their perspective forever.<\/p>\n

      Both “In Absentia” and “Toy Story” had actors acting, action, and dialog. \u00a0They were both entertaining, and there was insight in both plays. \u00a0Interestingly enough, in both cases the insight had to do with the power of sentiment. \u00a0“In Absentia” had grief, the psychological pain of loss, and closure. \u00a0“Toy Story” had the universally understood irrational sentiments of childhood joy, adventure, and wonder.<\/p>\n

      I’ll take another wild guess and assert that most people would think there was a big difference in the acting ability. \u00a0Well yes there were differences, but acting wasn’t the big difference between the two plays. \u00a0It was the blocking. \u00a0The stage at Phoebe Hearst was small, there were lots of kids, props, and action, and it was hard to move around. \u00a0The complexity of getting all those kids to hit their marks was an obvious\u00a0challenge.<\/p>\n

      The acting in “Toy Story” was quite strong. \u00a0I don’t recall either of the two lead actors (Samantha Macriss as “Woody” and Colton Winslow as “Buzz Lightyear”) dropping any lines. \u00a0And they had a ton of lines! \u00a0Jack Derby as “Andy” managed to capture the sly humor of his role, and he didn’t drop any lines either. \u00a0Nate Dyba-Singer (“Mr.\u00a0Potato\u00a0Head”) and Ben Schwartz (“Rex”) had almost as many lines, and they did a great job too. \u00a0Sid’s mom was hilarious (Michaela Wells.) Sid was diabolical (Ryan Kilmer.) \u00a0 Andy’s mom was entirely mom-like (Sonata Beasley.) \u00a0The aliens were hilarious.<\/p>\n

      Both “Toy Story” and “In Absentia” were full length. \u00a0 Both plays had all the elements of action, dialog, acting, entertainment, insight. \u00a0The big difference wasn’t the acting, or the entertainment, or the relevance, it was professional technique (blocking, staging, timing.) \u00a0But of course that comes with practice.<\/p>\n

      Now the point here is not that the Phoebe Hearst production is, or is not, on the same level as the B Street Theater. \u00a0The point is that both are relevant, and should be seen to be an important contribution to our social life. \u00a0Both have a distinct value-proposition, and that is something that can be compared.<\/p>\n

      I am thrilled that the kids at Phoebe Hearst could adapt a major-motion picture to their abilities and environment. \u00a0Those are some powerful kids. \u00a0I wish them the very best of good fortune as they gain adulthood. \u00a0Congratulations to the Phoebe Hearst team for directing, building, teaching and mentoring!<\/p>\n

      Cheers!<\/p>\n