Babble leads to babbling

I think that one of the reasons I had a baby was so that I would have a good excuse to attend theater for young audiences. I’ve been dying to see a production of Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse, and I would LOVE to know how The Very Hungry Caterpillar has been adapted for the stage. I’m not even joking.

Sadly, many of these productions are most appropriate for children who are at least three years old. Immediately after giving birth last year I thought, am I really going to have to wait three years to take my bundle of joy to the theater?

In August, when I discovered that the New Victory Theater had a production coming up for children ages 4 to 18 months, you can imagine my excitement. I bought tickets immediately.

This past weekend, I experienced Replay Theatre Company’s Babble at the New 42nd Street Studios in New York City with my husband and 9 month old baby. It was, perhaps, the most immersive theater experience I’ve had since I saw an adaptation of Faulkner’s As I Lay Dying staged inside a 15×15 foot crate. (And, yes I’ve seen Sleep No More.)

I have to say, I was a bit nervous taking the little one to the theater. She has her good days, and she has her bad days. Hell hath no fury like fussy baby. We arrived at the show early and waited in a room with clear plastic beach balls and felt cut outs of animals and shapes.  My baby took to the room immediately. She has recently figured out how to crawl and to wave socially and she likes to practice these new skills. Kudos to New Victory for establishing such a baby friendly pre-show environment.

Me and the little one playing before the show. She doesn't look particularly happy in this picture, but that is because we were making her pose for a photo and she was eager to crawl around more.

The performance took place inside a geodesic dome. Audience members were asked to take off their shoes before entering. My first thought was, I want one of these. Seriously, if I could set up a geodesic dome in my backyard or living room tomorrow, I would. It had a soft cushioned floor for the babies to crawl about on.  If I hadn’t had to leave after the show, I would have curled up into a ball and taken a nap.

The show was performed by four women who interacted with the babies before, during and after the performance. Right away, my little one was engaged by an actress who had her smiling and waving her hands. And then the show began. Replay’s website describes Babble as, “A vocal wonderland made from live voices and video.”  There was a fish, and lovely singing, and a video of what seemed to be this fish’s travels.  OK, I’ll admit, I was watching my baby far more than I was watching the action.  And her reaction was precious. At times she seemed nervous, at times dazzled. The actresses knew how to connect with the babies and keep their attention throughout.

But here’s the kicker.

Babble made her babble.

My husband questions my sanity, but I know this to be true.

The evening and morning after the performance all sorts of new sounds started coming out of her mouth. I had been a little concerned because she wasn’t really saying consonant sounds yet, but after Babble, we’ve been getting a constant stream of ga-ga-ga-ga-ga.

There have been a variety of studies that seem to indicate that theater is really great for young people. I’m a theater teacher and a playwright and have been involved in theater in one way or another for most of my life and have always felt that this must be the case, (although it is nice when a scientific study confirms something that I know to be true.) But it never occurred to me that theater could be created for babies. I realize that she probably won’t remember it, and we may never know exactly how it has shaped her developing mind, but I am so glad that my baby was able to experience Babble.