When All Was Green Play Analysis

Introduction
When All Was Green by The Key Theatre was showcased at Esplanade Recital Studio as part of the Octoburst! Festival for children. The play revolves around the interactions between a boy and a tree and, showed the tree as a great support system for the boy since he was young. However, due to modernization, not only was the environment at stake, but also the deeds of the tree were forgotten by the boy. The play aimed to engage children on the importance of the environment through the relationship between the two characters and the effects of modernization. In order to determine whether the play was engaging for children, the essay analyzed the play based on the characteristics of Children’s theatre in three aspects: character, storyline
Firstly, introduction should set the play immediately. It may take in the form of narration or dialogue by characters who provides hints to the theme. Secondly, transitions between scene must not only be smooth, but must also develop the theme. Lastly, conclusion must have a clear ending for children to be certain that the play has ended and it should end with a serious note. The above description of the different segments of the play was emphasized by Sloyer (1982) to achieve the goal of Children’s Theatre; to create a cohesive whole where the literacy selections is easily understood. She also highlighted that the plot should not be long-winded. Children should be able to understand the plot within a short duration. These characteristics of the storyline were seen in When All Was Green. As the play focusses on the theme of environment, the image of the tree was the main focus in the introduction and conclusion. Even without a narrator, the happy interaction between the tree and the character in the introduction had a lasting first image for children. It highlighted that the play would revolve around the two characters. The conclusion image, on the other hand, displayed the contrast. The roots of the tree were the only thing left to show the negative impact of modernization and character’s actions. Also, the play ended with a gloomy and quiet note which helped children
Klein (2005) highlighted that Children’s Theatre is often used to reinforce conceptual ideas that children have already learned by applying metaphoric concepts obtained from the play to their own experiences. This causes the child to be an active spectator by articulating their thoughts about the theme. However, he further emphasized that being able to create links between the metaphoric concepts and real-life situations does not necessarily mean that the child is able to transfer the lesson learnt to their own behaviors as they are still grasping the concept of causal connections. Such discrepancy was evident in When All Was Green where the overarching theme was highly relatable to children but, the underlying messages were too in-depth for them to conceptualize. The overarching theme of the play was environment whereas the underlying messages were saving the environment and remembering others’ deeds. The first message was shown through the urban city where the environment was manipulated to provide space for high rise buildings, papers were thrown away instead of recycling and factories released polluted air. The second message was reflected through the relationship between the character and the tree. The tree was always there for the character as he aged and in times of need such as in a storm. However, the character neglected these deeds when he was offered