[NEohioPAL] Q&A with AVENUE Q: SE Director, Jonathan Kronenberger at Beck Center

[Fran Storch]

Q & A with Jonathan Kronenberger
Director of Beck Center Teen Theater's production of
AVENUE Q: SCHOOL EDITION

Q. Do you think fans of the original Avenue Q will enjoy the "School Edition"? Why?

A. Yes. Because it is still a really funny and touching show.  Because what the authors have created is greater than simply giggling at a puppet dropping the F-bomb. Because although taking out the more blatant moments may alter some comical moments a bit, the show most certainly is not de-fanged. There's plenty of bite left. And we aren't dumb. We don't need everything spelled out. This is simply like watching a movie on network television where a few moments are adjusted to make it viewable to a wider audience. Don't panic. The full version of Q still exists in the world.

That said, I know there will be people who will never accept this edition, which is their loss and to some degree, an insult to the writers. This edition comes directly from Marx, Lopez and Whitty. They willingly came back to create this version so that it could be performed by students.  Frankly, the teens would have no problem doing the "regular" edition of Q. They are ready and raring to go. It's the adults who are squeamish and not ready to accept teens performing AVENUE Q.  And okay, in this Edition two songs are missing and one has new lyrics. You'll live. Come and discover what the authors perceived as essential. Come see what makes this edition unique.

Q. What gives the School Edition the PG-13 rating?

A. What gives the SE a PG-13 rating is the maturity of some of the subject matter, such as sexuality and racism.  Even though the actors are teens, the characters are all still "adults" and all in equally adult situations. So the characters still fool around, drink alcohol, make bad decisions, etc. just like in the regular edition of Q. They just aren't quite as blatant about it here.  Like with any show, it really is up to the personal comfort of each individual parent and what they choose to allow their kids to experience. Parents should use their discretion based on the maturity level of their children. Last summer, my mother and I took my 13 year old nephew to see AVENUE Q Off-Broadway and he loved it. I think I may have moved up in my positioning as favorite uncle. And he's still the same kid he was before we took him. Again, there is nothing in this show that teens don't already know about to some degree. It's just a matter of how comfortable we are having this conversation with them and acknowledging any of it in the first place.

Q. What is it like directing 23 teens on the subject matter?

A. The main challenge with twenty-three teens is keeping them focused at times. And - since the movie just came out - enduring endless reprises of songs from Les Miserables. Otherwise, this show is extremely fun to work on with this age range. Of course, I have to be careful with exactly what we talk about, but they are so ripe to tackle it all subject matter-wise. You remember yourself at that age. These kids are not dumb. All the topics in the show - identity, purpose, sexuality, love, racism, disappointment, money - are stuff they are already dealing with and may continue to struggle with one aspect or another at different periods in their life.  That's the heartbreaking part actually. They are just now answering many of these questions for the first time. This show teaches them that this first time will most likely not be their last.  But fortunately it also suggests it may not be the end of the world when these uncertain moments of change do come into our lives. That although we may fear that nothing can last forever, there is equal opportunity to take comfort in the fact that many things in our lives will only remain so "for now."

It's all been a terrific experience for me. This show provides plenty for me to teach to the actors while being accessible enough for them to teach me more about their experiences as well.

Beck Center Teen Theater
presents the
Regional Premiere of
Avenue Q
SCHOOL EDITION
February 8-10 & 14-17, 2013
Mackey Main Stage
BUY TICKETS!<http://sa1.seatadvisor.com/sabo/servlets/EventSearch?presenter=BECKCENTER>

Show times are 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 3 p.m. Sundays with a special student matinee performance 10 a.m. Thursday, February 14.Tickets are $12 for Adults/Seniors and $10 for Children (18 and under) and may be purchased online at beckcenter.org<http://sa1.seatadvisor.com/sabo/servlets/EventSearch?presenter=BECKCENTER> or by calling 216.521.2540, ext. 10. Discounted group rates are available for the student matinee. Call Customer Service Manager Rennie Tisdale at ext. 28 for more information and to schedule your student matinee.

Based on Avenue Q, the 2004 Tony Award "Triple Crown" winner for Best Musical, Best Score and Best Book, this laugh-out-loud musical adaptation tells the story of Princeton, a recent college grad who moves into a shabby New York apartment all the way out on Avenue Q. Princeton and his not-so ordinary neighbors struggle to find jobs, dates and their ever-elusive purpose in life. Just like your life, only funnier! This slightly censored version of the Broadway hit musical comedy is rated PG-13 and not recommended for children 12 and under. All of the laughs and life lessons but a little less lewdness - and, of course, the puppets!

Beck Center is located at 17801 Detroit Avenue in Lakewood. Free onsite parking is available. This production of Avenue Q: School Edition is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI) and is made possible by the generous support of Cuyahoga County residents through Cuyahoga Arts and Culture and the Ohio Arts Council.

Beck Center for the Arts is a not-for-profit 501(c)3 organization that offers professional theater productions, arts education programming in dance, music, theater, visual arts, early childhood, and creative arts therapies for special needs students, and free gallery exhibits featuring local, regional, and international artists. For more information about Beck Center, visit beckcenter.org<http://www.beckcenter.org/>.

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