Not-So-Wimpy Kids (and Adults)
Written by Director of Education, Brendan Shea
One of the many things that sets QCT apart from other theatres is our approach to student theatre. We treat our students’ work onstage with respect, credibility and professionalism—the same level of professionalism that is afforded to adult mainstage productions. In fact, student theatre productions are often presented in our 500-seat Barbara Rowell auditorium, they can feature adult actors or even appear on our season ticket. In the case of Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Musical, all three of those things are true! If that doesn’t inspire confidence in our young performers, then I don’t know what it does. Beyond challenging our students with great material and keeping our expectations high, this show also provides a unique space for mutual learning and growth across generations.
Taken at face value, the story of Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Musical is not exactly inspirational: Greg Heffley, a freshly minted sixth grader, makes it his life’s mission to become the most popular kid in school. He becomes obsessed with his “ranking” among his peers, resorting to some seriously underhanded, overwrought, borderline illegal methods on his way to the top. I’d like to say that he ends up making new friends along the way, turning over a new leaf and becoming the nicest kid in school, but…well, if you know the book series, I don’t have to tell you that Greg just keeps on being Greg.
But he’s not a villain. He’s not even a bad kid. He’s all of us. Whether we’re in middle school or middle age, we all have this element of idealistic (maybe self-serving) striving that can manifest in myriad ways. Whether it’s calling your teacher mom, refusing to let go of your skinny jeans era, blaming your sister/daughter/dog for eating the last muffin when there are clearly crumbs all over you—the cringe is real, and it lives on in all of us. We, too, are Wimpy.
So what do we take away from this show? What can you look forward to experiencing on the mainstage in mid-October? Well, I’m seeing it in rehearsals already.
I witness friendships forming, ideas mixing and adults and students motivating one another. There’s Matthew, who crushed his first music rehearsal and taught a great lesson to our younger actors about how to come to the room prepared. Then there’s Edwin (making his QCT debut), who gave some great insights into the play at our first meeting—after all, he’s an actual middle schooler. So many more stories emerge every day, proving again and again that community theatre isn’t just about the finished product. Along the way, we challenge each other to be more disciplined. We remind one another to be open to feedback and to be resilient. We try on the mantle of leadership, or perhaps step back and allow ourselves to be led. We inspire radical creativity. As Agnes DeMille said, together as artists “we take leap after leap in the dark.” We might be Wimpy on our own, but together—we are something more. Maybe not-so-Wimpy? I’d say fearless.