Seeing What She Sees!

One of the most extraordinary things for me about watching theatre with my 4-year-old daughter is how her interpretation of the show really blows open my mind to the possibilities within each play. I’m often working hard to make sure I’m following the story or understanding the piece as I think the creators want me to. I try to make logical sense of it all. But she just sees what she sees. 

Dorothy and I have watched a number of puppet shows since she was a baby (I mentioned in my intro that she’s an Old Man and the River superfan), but I think A Bucket of Beetles is the first one we’ve seen where the puppeteers aren’t dressed in black, partially hidden behind the set. So, to her, the puppeteers in A Bucket of Beetles were their own characters in the story. “The boy is with his two dads.” I love that so much. I was watching a boy on his own, but she was watching a boy being taken care of by his family.

Our experience watching My Silly Yum was similar. My brain was working away trying to answer for myself who the female-presenting character was. Was she a forest spirit? A goddess? What was her relationship to the boy? “That’s his mom,” Dorothy said. When I asked her what she thought the show was about, she said “It’s about a boy finding beautiful mushrooms!” Simple as that.

As an actor, I’ve never liked being asked “What do you hope audiences take away from this play?” I never have an answer for that. I hope everyone takes away whatever they need to. Like Dorothy seeing the boy in A Bucket of Beetles walking with his two dads. Was that the artists’ intention? Probably not. But is it a beautiful takeaway? Absolutely. I think there’s a lot to be learned about watching theatre by watching theatre with kids.

Christine Horne

About Christine Horne

Christine is an actor and mother originally from Aurora, Ontario. She has worked extensively in theatre, film, and television since graduating from the Acting program at York University quite some time ago. She started rehearsing Why Not Theatre’s Prince Hamlet (as Hamlet) when her daughter was seven weeks old and has been juggling artist-parenthood ever since, working most recently with Shakespeare in the Ruff, Crow’s Theatre, Soulpepper, and Why Not. Christine has won a Dora Award, a Canadian Screen Award, and the Birks Diamond Tribute to Women in Film.