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25

Want to Teach Theatrical Adaptation?

Start with the Source Material 

By Erin Lekovic 

Erin Lekovic is the author of The Cornbread Kid. 

So, you’ve decided to stage an adaptation with your student theatre group.  Great choice!  Not only does Pioneer Drama Service license excellent theatrical adaptations of well-known fairytales, beloved books, and timeless myths, but theatrical adaptations are ideal for student productions.  Why?  First, making theatre is hard, especially for student actors still learning the craft.  But a familiar story gives them a foothold so they can walk into the process already knowing the characters, the stakes, or even the ending.  It gives them the confidence to say, “I know this story and here’s what I bring to it.”  Secondly, not only do you get to stage a familiar story, but you also get the opportunity to teach the concept of adaptation to your students.  And in an ever-changing world, is there a better skill than being able to recognize and dissect transformation?

What is a theatrical adaptation?

Definitions vary, but here’s mine:  a theatrical adaptation takes an existing story and reshapes it for the stage.  Hamilton is a theatrical adaptation of Ron Chernow’s biography on the historical figure.  The musical The Color Purple is adapted from Alice Walker’s novel.  The play Inherit the Wind is based on the Scopes Trial that took place in the 1950’s.  Adaptations fill the theatrical canon.  Knowing how they work makes students sharper, more literate theatre artists.  That said, you can even teach adaptation while working on the production you’re already staging.

Here are three ways to weave the concepts of adaptation into your theatre classroom or rehearsal:

1.  Explore the source material
Getting to know a playscript is like getting to know a new person.  We want to know where they came from, because this informs who they are now.  Invite your students into the exploratory process by bringing in your script’s source material.  Read or explore it together as a group.  Ideally, this happens before you pass out scripts to your actors and assign them roles.  But even if it happens simultaneously with rehearsals, your students will still benefit.  The source material is the foundation for your play; embrace what it offers.

When I workshopped my play published by Pioneer Drama, The Cornbread Kid, I brought in multiple versions of its source material for my theatre students to read, including “The Gingerbread Boy,” “Otesanek,” “The Little Dumpling,” and “Johnny-cake.”  As a class, we talked about the genre of “runaway food,” and how and why it spans many cultures.  We discussed the variety of endings in each version, and wondered what the authors might be trying to say.  We identified the plot points and character goals that speak to kids today.

2.  Brainstorm the theatrical possibilities and challenges
Ask your student to think about how they would bring the story to life onstage.  I like to generate two lists.

• What parts of this story will translate well to live theatre?
• What parts of this story might be challenging to portray onstage?

These prompts allow students to take on a playwright’s mindset and think critically about how they might translate a story for the stage.

When I first set out to adapt “The Gingerbread Man,” I made these lists for myself.  Recognizing the possibilities and the challenges allowed me to embrace the aspects of the story I loved (the opportunity for movement and the plentiful roles).  It also helped me reimagine the challenging aspects of the story (like the lack of defined motivation from the titular character).

After your class has read the script for the adaptation you are producing, return to their list.  Did the playwright address any of the same challenges or opportunities identified by the students?  If so, how did the playwright handle them in the script?

3.  Leave room in your production for at least one moment of student adaptation
After studying and critically engaging with the source material, your students are thinking like theatrical adapters.  So, where can you have them join in on the adaptation fun?

Let’s go back to The Cornbread Kid.  In versions of the original story, the runaway food item repeatedly sings about how fast they are.  I knew I wanted to include this element in my adaptation, but I also know that musical moments can be difficult to pull off.  So, I’ve written the lyrics and paired them with tunes in the public domain, but how they’re performed is up for interpretation.  Some productions have the performers sing the songs acapella.  Others arrange their own single guitar or piano accompaniments.  What’s important to me is that the artists adapt the songs to fit their needs, goals, and vision for the production.

To include your students in the theatrical adaptation process, have them:

• Choreograph or block a scene in the production
• Collaborate on the design or construction of the costumes, set, or props
• Select the pre- and post-show music, setting the tone and mood for the production

There are many ways to contribute your own perspectives and interpretations to the production.  But remember, stick to the words written in the script.  Changing the playwright’s words is a no-no, even though Pioneer Drama Service is more flexible than most publishing companies regarding making changes to a play or musical to have it better meet production needs.  (Contact Pioneer Drama for more information.)

By staging a theatrical adaptation, your students become critical observers of change and conscious decision-making, they blossom as artists who embrace possibility, and they contribute to a story’s ever-changing, transformative growth.  In nature, in communities, and in art, adaptation is critical to survival.  So, keep pushing the theatrical form in new directions, and have fun!