Doin’ It For the Kids, Part Deux

“We usually say that there are three rules of entertaining children, three things that kids find funny,” says Michael B. Hoagland ’07, one half of the directorship of this year’s Sunken Garden Children’s Theatre (SGCT) production, an adaptation of “Hansel and Gretel.” “Funny voices, falling down and—Oh, God—what’s the third!? I’m sure Mary can tell you.”

“Mike said funny voices, falling down, and what’s the third?” asks Mary E. Birnbaum ’07, Hoagland’s co-director, and the “Mary” Hoagland was referring to. “I think maybe there are just three rules because we think there are three rules.”

Given the SGCT’s purpose—to adapt either a fairy tale or literary work for a young audience once a year during Arts First weekend—it makes sense that they often forget their own rules. SGCT seems to be guided by the simple principle: make ‘em laugh.

Last year’s show was “a child-friendly adaptation of ‘A Tale of Two Cities,” says Hoagland. “Instead of chopping off heads, we gave them hair cuts.”

The company’s actors are drawn to the freedom that allows for such changes, say the directors. SGCT can serve as a respite from the gravity that often pervades the Harvard theatre community. Take, for instance, the reasoning behind choosing to adapt “Hansel and Gretel” for this year’s performance.

“We decided that we liked Germany,” says Birnbaum. “Last year, we did British accents, and this year we thought German ones would be funny.”

The group draws its name from the small area in Radcliffe Yard known as the Sunken Garden, which has served as the troupe’s outdoor theatre for the past decade.

Now in its 11th year, the show is firmly established as an Arts First staple.

“We don’t do much advertising,” Hoagland states. “But we get lots of children of professors and kids from Cambridge.”

“We pride ourselves on the fact that there are jokes that are funny to kids, but also to adults,” adds Birnbaum.

Hoagland also stresses the popularity of the show amongst his friends. “I have blockmates who think it’s their favorite thing I do all year,” he says.

To overstate the extent to which the members of SGCT plan out their performances though, is to completely misinterpret their mindset, they say.

“It’s a low-commitment, low-stress thing,” says Hoagland. “We put the show together a couple of weeks beforehand and probably half the cast this year is in another show the same weekend.”

Perhaps Birnbaum phrased it best: “It’s just a really fun show.”