Same but Different
by Caleen Jennings
Musical for a multicultural cast. Large cast, simple set, 50 minutes, upper elementary/junior high. $ 6.50
Ever since our perennially popular Lunch Line came out, teachers and directors have been asking whether we have anything else like it. Same But Different is our answer.
Young teens love plays about their own lives. The trick to make them into good theatre is to combine realism with artistry, to highlight and juxtapose and add music at just the right moment. Same But Different intersperses lively songs and group raps with well crafted scenes about the bittersweet challenges of being young.
Growing up sometimes seems so adversarial. The in-group vs. the out-group, boys vs. girls, parents vs. children, all facing issues of race, culture, looks, popularity. Award-winning playwright (as well as mother of two boys and director of young actors) Caleen Sinnette Jennings dramatizes these conflicts with honesty and a sense of humor. In a particularly poignant scene, three hearing youngsters learn that being deaf doesn't mean you can't be an awesome soccer player. In another, boys who pride themselves on being jocks learn they aren't alone in having a sneaky affection for a teddy bear.
Same But Different is ideally suited to the needs of a junior drama class or club. It provides opportunities for multicultural casting, and there are enough characters to make a showcase for your entire group. Rather than depending on a star performer or two, meaty roles are spread throughout the play. The staging is simple; and you don't need to spend money on costumes or scenery; the backdrop of a clubhouse is all you require.
I just wanted to let you know that my 5th grade performed their production of Same but Different this week to rave reviews. Our entire Lower School, plus a few Middle and Upper School students came to celebrate with my students. The content is so appropriate for children in these pre-adolescent years. The play prompted many wonderful discussions among students and teachers in the lower grades. And the parents were delighted. . . . All in all, this was a truly terrific experience for all involved. Last year's Way's End and then this year's Same but Different . . . let me know when you get another show that features lots of actors in this age range!
Susan F. LaPalombara, Lower School Drama
The Episcopal Academy
Merion, Pennsylvania
