How the new kid in town must adjust
By Joseph T. Rozmiarek
Special to The Advertiser
| • | 'New Kid'
1:30 and 4:30 p.m. Saturday and Feb. 14 Leeward Community College Theatre $12 and $6 839-9885 |
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Nick is the new kid, an immigrant from a place called Homeland, trying to adjust to a new environment and a new school. So while Nick and his mother deliver their lines in English, everyone else speaks a polyglot gibberish with root words that sound familiar, but make no initial sense. The device puts the audience in the new kid's shoes — struggling to adapt and suffering from the teasing that results when he fails.
It's an issue play that addresses themes of bullying and self-esteem that can plague any youngster's formative years.
The production is aimed at the lower elementary grades.
"New Kid" is a reprise for HTY, first presented here in 1999, and guest-directed in this new production by Harry Wong III.
Cynthia See repeats her role as the mother, but BullDog, Monica Cho Coldwell and Moses Goods III are new to the cast. All take a simple, direct approach that keeps the situation clear and unflinching.
Nick (BullDog) leaves a simple and vaguely Polynesian culture for one more complex and fast-paced. He is befriended by Mencha (Coldwell), but teased and bullied by Mog (Goods) for looking and behaving differently.
While Nick can operate a calculator better than the other kids can, he withdraws from social patterns they take for granted. His salvation comes through sports, which he shares with Mencha, despite Mog's hostility. Nick is even able to help his mother, who has her own adjustment problems.
Jim Davenport designs the set as an urban island, surrounding the central playing area with cut-out waves painted in asphalt gray with white lane markers. Sliding curtains inside a building outline changes the backdrops.
The play turns the tables for an hour, letting its audience soak in the feeling of being an outsider in a situation where fitting in is paramount. The cast helps process the experience in a post-performance discussion.
