Seattle Children's Theatre, a leader is quality dramatic productions for young audiences, had another feather in its cap. And what a beautiful feather it is. The Boy at the Edge of Everything is the delightfully engaging story of two boys whose lives are complete opposites and their encounters with each other's world.
The Boy at the Edge of Everything comes from the creative mind of Australian playwright Finegan Kruckemeyer, who has penned almost 70 plays. His collaboration with Seattle Children's Theatre brings us this new original play as a world premiere.
The story puts its own twist on the familiar theme of the grass is always greener by placing it in a modern setting with two tweens. Simon, the "Earth boy," played by Trick Danneker, is stressed out. As you watch him move from scene to scene, from home to the bus, to school, to soccer practice, you feel the chaos of his day-to-day life.
As he quietly observes those around him, his stress becomes palpable. He wishes for a place to just be, a place where no one has any expectations of him. I asked my 12-year-old son what he thought of their interpretation of tween life. He simply said, "Nailed it."
The other boy, the one at the edge of everything, is played by Quinn Armstrong. This boy has nothing but time and space to just be. He learns about the various worlds and people in the universe through observation with some special spiffy binoculars and by reading … a lot of reading.
In fact, his house at the edge of everything is made out of books and pages of writing. If you are sitting close enough to make things out during the play, it is worth a closer inspection before or afterward to admire the details of it. With pages of Shakespeare, algebraic equations and even pages from a dictionary, the house is the quite remarkable work of Scenic Designer Carey Wong.
When Simon and the Boy encounter each other, they find that even with all their differences, they share many commonalities. While they each long for something that their own lives are not providing, in the end, they agree with Dorothy Gayle that there is no place like home.
Audiences will be kept on their toes as three other actors play all of the other parts in the play. With a costume change as simple as putting on a hoodie or donning glasses, they move seamlessly from one role to the next. I was especially impressed with Carol Roscoe's work as Mother, the science teacher and classmate. Even without the costume cues, her demeanor, mannerisms and voice made it perfectly clear which character she was playing.
While it may sound like heavy subject matter, the play is anything but heavy-handed. The story is so full of humor that it is impossible not to laugh out loud. From funny punch lines to an epic puke scene, this play is sure to tickle your funny bone. With a perfect blend of drama and comedy, the show is engaging from beginning to end.
You know it's good when your kids don't so much as wiggle a finger throughout the show. But it wasn't just my kids, it was the whole audience. When the stage was quiet, the audience held its collective breath, and when the antics resumed, the crowd laughed as one.
My son said he wished it had been based on a book so that he could go spend more time with the characters. As a parent of a tween and a soon-to-be tween, I was grateful for the glimpse into not only the mind but also the heart of tween stress.
With a world so full of opportunities and possible experiences, the play is a great reminder of the importance and the beauty of taking some time to just be. Watching the show with my kids proved that this message of the play will not only ring true with the adults but will also resonate with young audiences. This is one not to be missed.
IF YOU GO
Where: Seattle Children’s Theatre, 201 Thomas St., Seattle.
When: Now through April 6: Thursdays and Fridays at 7 p.m., Saturdays at 2 and 5:30 p.m., and Sundays at 11 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.
Cost: Adults $20-$36 and children $20-$29.
Contact: 206-441-3322, tickets@sct.org, www.sct.org.
Kelly Rogers Flynt is a freelance writer based out of Lake Forest Park and the parent of two children, ages 12 and 9, who keep her both on edge and in the middle of everything.
