Alright, alright, let’s gab a bit about these “coming of age plays,” whatever that fancy term means. Sounds like them plays about young’uns growin’ up, right? Like when little Timmy finally learns to tie his own shoes, or when Susie starts wearin’ lipstick and battin’ her eyelashes at the boys. That kinda stuff, I reckon.
Plays About Growin’ Up, Huh?
I ain’t never been to one of them fancy playhouses, mind you. But I seen enough life to know what growin’ up is all about. It ain’t always pretty, that’s for sure. Sometimes it’s messy, like a pigpen after a rainstorm. Sometimes it’s sad, like watchin’ your last chick fly the coop. And sometimes, just sometimes, it’s joyful, like findin’ a twenty-dollar bill in your old coat pocket.
- Them Young’uns and Their Troubles
- First Loves and Heartaches
- Learnin’ Life’s Lessons the Hard Way
See, these plays, they tell stories about all that. They got these young characters, usually teenagers, goin’ through all sorts of changes. One minute they’re happy-go-lucky, chasin’ butterflies in the meadow, and the next they’re all moody and stompin’ their feet like a mule with a burr under its saddle. It’s a wild ride, this growin’ up business, let me tell ya.
From Child to Grown-Up, Just Like That
Now, some folks say these “coming of age” stories can happen anytime, not just when you’re a teenager. Heck, I reckon that’s true. I’m still learnin’ new things every day, even at my age. Just last week, I finally figured out how to use that newfangled can opener. Felt like I’d won the lottery, I did. So yeah, growin’ up ain’t got no age limit, I suppose.
I heard tell of a play, somethin’ about a diary of a young girl named Anne Frank. Folks say it ain’t all about growin’ up, but it’s got some of that in there. Sounds like a sad story, though. Probably makes you cry buckets. I ain’t one for cryin’, not anymore. Seen too much in my life to waste tears on.
Love, Loyalty, and All That Jazz
But these plays, they ain’t all sad and gloomy. They got love stories, too. You know, them first crushes, the butterflies in your stomach, the awkward hand-holdin’. Reminds me of when I first met my old man. He was a charmer, that one. Swept me off my feet with his smooth talk and his strong arms. We had some good years, we did. Before the kids came and the bills piled up and the wrinkles started showin’.
And then there’s the loyalty part. These plays, they show how important friends and family are. How you gotta stick together through thick and thin, like peas in a pod. ‘Cause life ain’t easy, and you can’t do it alone. You need your people, your tribe, your kin. They’re the ones who’ll pick you up when you fall, dust you off, and tell you to get back in the saddle.
“First Time” for Everything, They Say
I also heard tell that these plays talk about “first time” experiences. Now, I ain’t gonna go into details, mind you. But you know what I’m talkin’ about. The first kiss, the first heartbreak, the first time you realize the world ain’t all sunshine and rainbows. Them experiences, they shape you, they mold you, they make you who you are. They painful sometime, sure. But you gotta go though it. Just like a rock got to be beat and beat to become smooth.
There’s even some story ’bout some sisters, think they called “Little Women”. I ain’t never seen it, but heard from my gran-daughter Sally that it’s ’bout young women becoming adults. Each got their own way to live life, with fightin’ and all sorts of stuff.
Growing Pains, You Know?
So, yeah, these “coming of age plays,” they’re about life. About growin’ up, about learnin’, about lovin’, about losin’, about findin’ your place in this big, crazy world. And I reckon that’s somethin’ we can all relate to, whether we’re young or old, rich or poor, city folk or country bumpkins like me.
Plays Ain’t Just for Fancy Folks
I still think plays are for them rich and fancy people. But maybe, just maybe, there’s some truth in them stories. Maybe they can teach us a thing or two about ourselves, about our past, and about our future. Maybe they can remind us that we’re all just tryin’ to figure this life thing out, one step at a time.
And that, my friends, is all I gotta say about these “coming of age plays.” Now, if you’ll excuse me, I gotta go check on my chickens. Them varmints been gettin’ at ’em lately, and I ain’t about to let no fox steal my eggs.
