Heather Riddell
In Motion Staff Writer
Opening on a playground of laughing, frolicking youngsters, the musical “Free To Be You And Me” on the surface seems like a fun upbeat, 90 minutes easy for young and old alike to enjoy.
But “Free To Be You And Me” — presented by the Daytona State College Theatre Department in partnership with the Ivy Hawn Charter School of the Arts and directed by Associate Professor Samantha Stern — goes deeper than that, with its challenging of gender stereotypes.
Though the main ideas and message of the play are commonplace today, when the play was first released in 1972, these things were really pushing the boundaries. They wouldn’t even be heard of or spoken about 40 years ago, when conceived of by Marlo Thomas and “Friends” and adapted for the stage by Douglas Love and Regina Safran. Among those friends were Shel Silverstein
(“Where the Sidewalk Ends,” “The Giving Tree”) and Judy Blume (“Dear God, It’s Me Margaret”), who contributed to the main theme of the musical, which is being free to be who or whatever you want.
That is still an important message of value that provides young people confidence and reassurance in their individual choices. The musical also reinforces the notion that it’s OK to challenge society’s gender norms. It’s a positive message that anyone can benefit from hearing, whether in the 1970s, today or in the future.
That Marlo Thomas was behind this progressive play makes sense for those who remember her TV debut in the popular series “That Girl,” which ran on ABC from 1966 to 1971. “That Girl” addressed the start of the feminist movement of the 1960s and was one of the first sitcoms to focus on a single woman, who was not a maid or living at home with her parents. It is widely considered the forerunner of the more famous ‘Mary Tyler Moore Show.”
DSC’s production of the play was well executed, from the costumes and makeup to the set design and lighting. The musical aspect was impressive. Although cast members sung their own lines, you almost thought they were lip-synching from an professionally produced album. Heather Langs conducted and played piano for the Gillespy Theater production at the News-Journal Center. Adam Langs performed on drums and percussion instruments.
All cast members gave strong performances that pulled viewers into the lives of their young characters, while shining a light on other issues such as sibling rivalry and assuring young people that having emotions is normal. Yes, boys can, and do, cry.
While the original “Free To Be You And Me” is more than 40 years old, the message is still relevant today. Sexism is still alive and well in this world, but through messages such as this that can be countered and maybe one day, these will be issues of the past.