Theorizing the Imaginary Character in David Holman’s The Small Poppies

Abstract

For this project, I focus on David Holman’s The Small Poppies (1989) as a case study to highlight the significance of the imaginary character in a stand-out Australian theatre-in education (TIE) play. The main premise of the article is to extend the study of imaginary characters and its association with young children, using a reflective inquiry that is based on an artist-in-school practitioner’s viewpoint. Holman’s play negotiates the competing forces between a child’s positive notions about the imaginary companion and society’s varied comprehension of such imaginings, which at times is unflattering. The story of Clint and his imaginary dog, Digger, in The Small Poppies emerges as a micro-socio-psychological phenomenon in the form of: (1) an invisible, known identity; (2) an emotional stabilizer; and (3) shared imaginings. In this study, the analysis pivots solely on the imaginary character at particular performative “turning points” (Bullock and Ritter 2011) within the play. The theorization of the imaginary character in The Small Poppies offers a new perspective for young people’s relationships with imaginary characters from the field of Australian TIE.

Para este proyecto, me centro en Las pequeñas amapolas (1989) de David Holman, como un estudio de caso para poner de relieve la importancia del compañero, o amigo, imaginario en una obra australiana itinerante de Teatro en la Educación (TIE). La premisa principal del artículo es profundizar en el estudio de los amigos imaginarios y su relación con los niños pequeños, utilizando una investigación reflexiva que se basa en el punto de vista de un artista-profesional-en la escuela. La obra de Holman negocia las fuerzas en oposición entre las nociones positivas de un niño sobre el compañero imaginario, y la comprensión variada de la sociedad acerca de tales figuraciones, que a veces es poco halagadora. La historia de Clint y su perro imaginario, Digger, en Las pequeña Amapolas, emerge como un fenómeno micro-socio-psicológico en forma de: (1) una identidad invisible conocida; (2) un estabilizador emocional; y (3) una elucubración compartida. En este estudio, el análisis gira únicamente alrededor del personaje imaginario en “puntos de inflexión” particulares de representación (Bullock y Ritter 2011) dentro de la obra. La teorización del amigo imaginario en Las pequeñas amapolas ofrece una nueva perspectiva de las relaciones de los jóvenes con sus compañeros imaginarios, desde el campo del TIE australiano.

Notes

¹ Any future reference to Mac (2002) in this article is from the documentary film The Small Poppies: A Documentary by Robert Mac. Robert Mac interviewed the cast and audience members as part of the documentary during the 2000 Dublin Theatre Festival, which focused on the making of The Small Poppies.

² Snuffleupagus was originally portrayed as Big Bird’s imaginary friend on Sesame Street. However, the Children’s Television Workshop ended this in light of high-profile stories on pedophilia and sexual abuse of children that had aired on shows such as 60 Minutes in the mid-1980s. There was fear that the imaginary character on Sesame Street would lead children to believe that they could not tell certain stories without being branded a liar. The show then went through a period of rewriting to reveal that the show’s imaginary character was actually real.