Kirsten Childs

"I remember thinking that there was going to be someone who'd say 'I can write rings around that girl! I'll show her what a good musical is!' And hopefully that smart-aleck would be talented and would write a fabulous musical about people of color. I would get the competitive juices of other people flowing and great musicals would be written for black folks, and my mission would be accomplished."

-from interview with Shoshana Greenberg, American Theatre, May 2017

Playwright Bio

Born in 1952 in Los Angeles, CA
Sister to jazz musician Billy Childs
Began as an actress in the 1970s with Bob Fosse; Broadway credits include Sweet Charity and Jerry’s Girls; most significant film credit in See No Evil, Hear No Evil with Richard Pryor & Gene Wilder
After her acting career, Childs worked at both Merrill Lynch and the United Nations
Desire to write her own musicals (despite a lack of piano/composition experience - her first pieces were all sung into a tape recorder and transcribed by someone else) led her to enroll in NYU Tisch’s Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program, where she is now an adjunct faculty member

Hallmarks of Childs' work includes frequently focusing on myth, fairytale, legend and tall tales, usually by inventing, reinventing, or utilizing a different lens within a well-known story or context, especially with the use of cross- or inter-cultural music and dance techniques incorporated into performance; exploring identity, especially alongside body image and in Black women, both internally and within an anglicized culture; questioning the ideas of fate, purpose, and the rules of society as outsiders; and exuding a sense of optimism, whimsy, and joy, both in her characters and the overall pieces themselves - being willing to experiment with structure, convention, and genre within the same piece.

The Bubbly Black Girl Sheds Her Chameleon Skin

Annotated Plot: Childs' first full-length musical premiered at Playwright's Horizons in 2000, a semi-autobiographical coming-of-age tale starring LaChanze as Viveca, or "Bubbly", who grows up in LA dreaming of becoming a dancer while navigating the consequences of her Blackness - within the first few scenes, she is being teased about the little black girls dying in the 1963 Birmingham’s church bombing. However, Bubbly prefers to confide in her white doll “Chitty Chatty”, while lying to her parents that she’s studying Harriet Tubman. As she continues to grow and encounter the black pride movement, as well as finally reaching New York and "Director Bob", the man who finally gives her her "big break" on Broadway (though it requires her to, at his direction, be "less white"), there are continuous internal and external challenges that she is somehow not Black enough. Bubbly comes to accept her own unique identity in embracing her history, ignoring the expectations of others, and living her own “bubbly” truth.

Childs & LaChanze at the opening of "Bella: An American Tall Tale" at Playwright's Horizons (where "Bubbly" premiered) in 2017.

Analysis & Educational Opportunities: Bubbly Black Girl… is a classic bildungsroman, and can/should be used in tandem with other coming of age stories, both in analysis of structure and of the influences that shape an identity. Being a story of a black woman in a particularly fraught time in history, there are also ample opportunities to explore identity within historical context (perhaps as a companion to an exploration of the historical events occurring alongside Bubbly’s journey) as well as the more internalized analysis of the formation of body image, positive role models and representation for black women in the media, and the expectations of race in and out of the theatrical world. Additionally, Kirsten Childs is one of the only black women writing black woman characters in musical theatre, which opens up many discussions on equitable and accurate representation of diversity in the arts.

Sample Activities & Discussion Questions:

In the ELA Classroom: Compare Bubbly's story to other coming-of-age tales you may have studied. Though many of the most famous ones, both classic and contemporary, focus on white males - Salinger's Catcher in the Rye, Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Stephen Chbosky's The Perks of Being A Wallflower - in utilizing Childs' work, it would be useful to include stories of women and people of color. Some suggestions include Khaled Hosseini's The Kite Runner, Danzy Senna's Caucasia, Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God and Alice Walker's The Color Purple; on film, Moonlight is a phenomenal exploration of black male coming of age, Real Women Have Curves focuses on a Latina protagonist, and even Remember The Titans could be appropriate, considering the time period and civil rights issues it shares with Bubbly Black Girl. What are the fundamental elements of a coming of age story? How are coming of age stories changed by the race, gender, and sexuality of the protagonist? How does culture, both in the microcosm of one's hometown and the macrocosm of the political time period, influence the formation of one's identity? What are the expectations of a certain identity? How do the protagonists of a bildungsroman accept or reject those expectations in their own identity formation?
In the History Classroom: Chart Bubbly's journey through the actual timeline of events of the Civil Rights movement, starting with the Birmingham church bombing of 1963 (mentioned at the beginning of the play) or even before. How does Bubbly Black Girl reflect the changing attitudes of and towards black people, especially black women, in this time period? How did the Black Pride Movement influence the notion of Blackness (and in Bubbly's case, the idea of being "Black enough")? Considering the timeline of the play, what other historical events may Bubbly have experienced? Though she ends up performing in a fairly white-centric piece (as Childs herself did with Bob Fosse's Chicago), what kind of art were Black people making during this time period, alongside of or in reaction to the historical and political events affecting Black culture in America?
In the Drama Classroom: Ask students to brainstorm a list of other musicals focusing on or at least featuring the stories of women of color. Then, have students investigate the creators of these musicals - and which, if any of them, include women of color on the creative team. (As they will discover quickly, these are incredibly rare.) Why are so few women of color included in the creation of musical theatre ABOUT women of color? What are the differences between those pieces that are written by women of color (like Bubbly Black Girl) and those that are not? How does that affect the authenticity (however we choose to perceive/define authenticity) of the characters onstage and our reactions to them? How do we navigate the stories we as artists have the right to tell? What are some possible ways we, as a community of artists, can support more authentic representation and opportunities for women of color in not just stories about women of color, but all theatre?

Other Annotated Works

Bella: An American Tall Tale (book/music/lyrics; Playwright's Horizons, 2017):

SYNOPSIS: A Western tall-tale about Bella, an imaginative woman with a mythically large & enchanting behind, who escapes trouble in her hometown on a train to the west (to ostensibly meet her fiance, a Buffalo soldier) but encountering numerous diverse admirers (a Spanish gaucho, a Chinese cowboy, and a soulful Black train porter) along the way, all enchanted by her magical booty. Bella joins the circus and becomes famous, but when she reaches the height of her fame, in a performance at Carnegie Hall, is ridiculed. Inspired by the “Spirit of the Booty” and the love, history, and identity imbued in her by her family, Bella ultimately decides to go home to Tupelo.
ANALYSIS/EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES: Though this script is currently unavailable, the fact that Bella is a leading lady with joy, power, multiple love interests and a big behind is almost unheard of within the musical theatre canon (if not the canon of theatre entirely). Body image and the current and historical objectification of Black women’s bodies could again be explored, particularly in comparison with the story of Venus Hottentot (and, if in a theatrical context, Suzan-Lori Parks’ play Venus). Childs herself commented on the erasure of people of color from traditional narratives around the “Wild West” and the Western genre in regards to her desire to write this piece. Even outside of theatrical coursework, Bella could serve as an inspiring entry point to research and investigate true stories of POC heroes within the formation of American history, and discuss the problematic erasure of such cultures/people within popular culture and education. On a more meta-level, the cultural diversity in the written roles and casting of Bella should be an important discussion for any student/teacher interested in investing in a more equitable theatre world.

Fly (lyrics, book by Rajiv Joseph, music by Bill Sherman; Dallas Theater Center, 2013):

SYNOPSIS: An adaptation of Peter Pan, driven by rhythmic, Afro-Caribbean-inspired drum music & dance, where Wendy, Peter, and John go to Neverland to find brother Michael, but become separated and must navigate Neverland (with a “Black Swamp” in place of a Mermaid Lagoon and the crocodile merely a myth Hook tells to cover up that Peter, in fact, cut off his hand) on their own to learn lessons of growing up and embracing life as it comes.
ANALYSIS/EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES: Though the script for Fly is not available, it would be fascinating to read and analyze it alongside any number of Peter Pan adaptations, be it the original J.M. Barrie story, the 1954 musical, or many of the other incarnations of Peter Pan in popular culture. An exploration of the re-contextualized Neverland could lead to discussions on myth and fairytale both within larger culture and on a personal level (particularly, in Hook’s explanation of his hand - how and why do we mythologize our own stories?) as well as examining the cultural contexts of fables - what differences come up when the same story is told in Afro-Caribbean culture versus an American or English one, and what are the benefits of integrating those differences/mixing intercultural elements?

Comprehensive List of Works

Additional Resources

Throughout this research, pieces of particular interest surrounding Kirsten Childs' process, history, and her notable place in the musical theatre canon as one of the only black women writing black women (and why this should change) included:

The American Voice: Reclaiming The Myth, an essay by Playwrights Horizons Director of Musical Theatre Kent Nicholson on Childs' body of work regarding mythology
Why Theatre Needs More Stories About Black Women Told By Black Woman, an article from Playbill.com by Alysa Auriemma discussing the 2016 Broadway Season & diversity
An interview between Kirsten Childs & Playwrights Horizons Artistic Director Tim Sanford on Childs' process, history with Playwrights Horizons, and journey from Bubbly to Bella
"Beyond Black, Just Herself", a New York Times article by Jonathan Mandell before the opening of Bubbly, in which Childs discusses the parallels between the piece & her own life

Finally, as part of the researcher's own exploration into Kirsten Childs' rarity as a black woman writing black women in musical theatre, a spreadsheet was compiled comparing the licensing information for fifteen musicals featuring women of color (as described in the above suggested classroom activity) with the gender & ethnicity of the creative team members. A preliminary version of this spreadsheet can be viewed here for educational purposes only.

Bibliography

Note: As many of Childs' pieces are unpublished, this bibliography has an extensive selection of reviews, which assisted in compiling a full list of works & plots of unpublished pieces.

Auriemma, A. (2016, March 31) “Why Theatre Needs More Stories About Black Women Told By Black Women”. Playbill.com. Retrieved October 10, 2017 from http://www.playbill.com/article/why-theatre-needs-more-stories-about-black-women-told-by-black-women
Brantley, B. (2005, September 19). “Dolphins Turn Human and Trouble Ensues”. New York Times. Retrieved October 19, 2017 fromhttp://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/19/theater/reviews/dolphins-turn-human-and-trouble-ensues.html
Brantley, B. (2017, June 12). “Review: In ‘Bella’, an Indomitable Heroine Goes West”. New York Times. Retrieved October 19, 2017 from https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/12/theater/bella-an-american-tall-tale-review.html
Capodilupo, C. (2015) “One Size Does Not Fit All: Using Variables Other Than the Thin Ideal to Understand Black Women’s Body Image”. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, volume 21 (2) pp. 268-278. Retrieved from http://psycnet.apa.org/fulltext/2014-34821-001.pdf
Childs, K. & Sanford, T. (2017) “Artist Interview: Kirsten Childs”. Bella: An American Tall Tale: Playwrights Horizons. Retrieved October 10, 2017 from https://www.playwrightshorizons.org/shows/trailers/artist-interview-kirsten-childs/
Childs, K. (2017) “Playwright’s Perspective: Bella”. Bella: An American Tall Tale: Playwrights Horizons. Retrieved October 10, 2017 from https://www.playwrightshorizons.org/shows/trailers/playwrights-perspective-bella/
Childs, K. (2000) The Bubbly Black Girl Sheds Her Chameleon Skin. New York: Dramatist’s Play Service.
[crocketg] (2012, August 21) Capathia Jenkins sings “A Big Black Lady Stops the Show” from “Fame Becomes Me” [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0-eXSDA02g&feature=youtu.be
Dimond, M. & Kooman, C. (2011 August 24). Lyrics: Random Black Girl [blog post]. Retrieved from https://koomandimond.wordpress.com/2011/08/24/lyrics-random-black-girl/
Dinero, D. (2012) “A big black lady stops the show: Black women, performances of excess and the power of saying no”. Studies in Musical Theatre, volume 6 (1), pp. 29-41. Retrieved from http://content.ebscohost.com.proxy.library.nyu.edu/ContentServer.asp?T=P&P=AN&K=74549792&S=R&D=hft&EbscoContent=dGJyMNHX8kSep7I4zdnyOLCmr0%2BeqK5Ss6e4TLaWxWXS&ContentCustomer=dGJyMPGutlCyqbVOuePfgeyx43zx
Finley, J. (2016) “Black Women’s Satire as (Black) Postmodern Performance”. Studies in American Humor, volume 2 (2) pp. 236-265. Retrieved from http://content.ebscohost.com.proxy.library.nyu.edu/ContentServer.asp?T=P&P=AN&K=119129967&S=R&D=hus&EbscoContent=dGJyMNHX8kSep7I4zdnyOLCmr0%2BeqK5Ss6q4TLGWxWXS&ContentCustomer=dGJyMPGutlCyqbVOuePfgeyx43zx
Flood, M. (2017) “The Wiz Live! and Body Rhetoric: The Complexity of Increasing Diversity in a Whitewashed Entertainment Industry”. Ohio Communication Journal, volume 55 (Feb. 2017) pp. 109-118. Retrieved from http://content.ebscohost.com.proxy.library.nyu.edu/ContentServer.asp?T=P&P=AN&K=123237994&S=R&D=ufh&EbscoContent=dGJyMNHX8kSep7I4zdnyOLCmr0%2BeqK9Srqa4S7WWxWXS&ContentCustomer=dGJyMPGutlCyqbVOuePfgeyx43zx
“Fly”. Dallas Theater Center. Retrieved October 20, 2017 from https://www.dallastheatercenter.org/show_details.php?sid=58
“Funked Up Fairytales”. National Alliance of Musical Theatre. Retrieved October 19, 2017 from https://namt.org/musicals/funked-up-fairy-tales/
Green, J. (2017, July 27). “Review: ‘Bubbly Black Girl’ Lets a Smile Be Her Camouflage”. New York Times. Retrieved October 20, 2017 from https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/27/theater/the-bubbly-black-girl-sheds-her-chameleon-skin-review.html
Greenberg, S. (2017) “Kirsten Childs Thinks Big”. American Theatre. Retrieved October 9, 2017 from http://www.americantheatre.org/2017/05/15/kirsten-childs-thinks-big/
Hetrick, A. (2013, May 30). “New Musical Fly, Helmed by Tony Winner Jeffrey Seller, Will Star Bradley Dean, Eddie Korbich and More in Dallas”. Playbill.com. Retrieved October 20, 2017 from http://www.playbill.com/article/new-musical-fly-helmed-by-tony-winner-jeffrey-seller-will-star-bradley-dean-eddie-korbich-and-more-in-dallas-com-205961
Isherwood, C. (2000, June 21). “The Bubbly Black Girl Sheds Her Chameleon Skin”. Variety. Retrieved October 20, 2017 from http://variety.com/2000/legit/reviews/the-bubbly-black-girl-sheds-her-chameleon-skin-2-1200462722/
“Kirsten Childs”. Doolee.com: The Playwrights Database. Retrieved October 23, 2017 from http://www.doollee.com/PlaywrightsC/childs-kirsten.html
“Kirsten Childs: Adjunct Faculty”. NYU Tisch: Graduate Musical Theatre Writing: Faculty. Retrieved October 10, 2017 from https://tisch.nyu.edu/grad-musical-theatre-writing/faculty/kirsten-childs
“Kirsten Childs: Performer”. Playbill.com Vault. Retrieved October 23, 2017 from http://www.playbill.com/person/kirsten-childs-vault-0000047034
[koomandimond] (2011, October 10) Patina Miller - Random Black Girl [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vHOeRXQH4DA&feature=youtu.be
“Miracle Brothers”. Vineyard Theatre. Retrieved October 19, 2017 from http://www.vineyardtheatre.org/miracle-brothers/
Nicholson, K. (2017) “The American Voice: Reclaiming the Myth”. Bella: An American Tall Tale: Playwrights Horizons. Retrieved October 10, 2017 from https://www.playwrightshorizons.org/shows/trailers/american-voice-reclaiming-myth/
[Playwrights Horizons] (2017, June 12) Bella: An American Tall Tale Trailer [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wVTfT_7QqUs&feature=youtu.be
Rizzo, F. (2007, August 10). “Funked Up Fairy Tales”. Variety. Retrieved October 19, 2017 from http://variety.com/2007/legit/reviews/funked-up-fairy-tales-1200557245/
Rooney, D. (2005, September 18). “Miracle Brothers”. Variety. Retrieved October 19, 2017 from http://variety.com/2005/legit/reviews/miracle-brothers-1200521736/
Sanford, T. (2017) “From the Artistic Director: Bella”. Bella: An American Tall Tale: Playwrights Horizons. Retrieved October 10, 2017 from https://www.playwrightshorizons.org/shows/trailers/artistic-director-bella/
Stasio, M. (2017, June 13). “Off Broadway Review: ‘Bella: An American Tall Tale’. Variety. Retrieved October 19, 2017 from http://variety.com/2017/legit/reviews/bella-review-musical-1202464376/
Sullivan Isaacs, G. (2013, July 14). “High Flying, Soon to be Adored”. TheaterJones: North Texas Performing Arts News. Retrieved October 20, 2017 from http://www.theaterjones.com/ntx/reviews/20130714113055/2013-07-14/Dallas-Theater-Center/Fly
[theatermania] (2017, July 26) Nikki M. James Brings the Bubbly Black Girl Back to New York [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXqIRZAYD_M&feature=youtu.be

Web page compiled by Kate Sheridan (2017)

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