A Dickens of a Lesson

Whenever Hisa Takakuwa chooses a play for the Teen Players, one name is never far from her mind—Charles Dickens. Not only do his plays typically feature large casts, but they provide a wealth of interesting and challenging characters for the young actors in SCR’s Theatre Conservatory to embrace.

Takakuwa, SCR’s Conservatory and Educational Programs Director, went back to the Dickens library for this year’s Teen Players production—David Copperfield, adapted for the stage by Thomas Hischak. Directed by Takakuwa, David Copperfield runs for seven performances May 24-June 1 in the Nicholas Studio. Tickets are $18.

The Teen Players are advanced students in SCR’s Theatre Conservatory, chosen through audition after at least two years in the Theatre Conservatory.

Takakuwa took time from rehearsals to talk about why she chose this work, what she wants her actors to learn from the experience and even share a couple important quotes from the play.

Why is David Copperfield a good story for the Teen Players, specifically?

HISA TAKAKUWA: “I always try to select Players scripts that will have special resonance for the young company. To work on a Dickens adaptation is especially meaningful for many of our Conservatory students as they may have had the opportunity to have performed in our annual production of A Christmas Carol.  So, I try to work on a Dickens with the Players every several years if possible. Over the years the Teen Players have also worked on adaptations of Hard Times, Oliver Twist, and Nicholas Nickleby.

To revisit Dickens’ world allows them to explore period, somewhat heightened language and an incredibly colorful array of challenging and bold characters. The plot also centers around a journey that is very relatable to their own—as young people seeking to find their place in the world, and as young artists seeking to clarify their individual voice and purpose.  David Copperfield is about the search to understand love and the revelation that family—in its many forms—is all important to meaning and to finding one’s self.  That’s a journey that is both relatable and especially relevant to each of the Teen Players just now.  It is a story that they can explore and tell in their own voices.”

Why David Copperfield, instead of other works?

HT: “This year I wanted to make sure that overall the story was one of challenge, but with a sense of overall optimism and hope.  It felt like the right time to share with audiences that the human spirit can overcome adversity.”

What are two important quotes from the text?

HT: (The first) “Never be mean in anything.  Never be false.  Never be cruel.  Avoid those three vices, my boy, and I can always be hopeful of you.”

(The second) “But, if any fraud or treachery is practicing against him, I hope that simple love and truth will be stronger.  I hope that real love and truth are stronger in the end than any evil or misfortune in the world.”

What do you hope they learn from it?

HT: “In terms of the art?  How to invest themselves fully in something they love.  How to be excited to challenge themselves—and be willing to do the work it requires.  How to be brave enough to share their vulnerabilities—and be willing to both fail and succeed.  How to inspire those they work with and be inspired by them, to be kind and supportive. To be flexible and open, and to have a sense of play.  To look closer and in more detail, to be more present in their own lives and with others, to not take things for granted. And, of course, to build their skills as actors and storytellers.”

Learn more and buy tickets