James and the Giant Peach might not be the first show you think of when you think of a musical being performed at a college. The story has existed in many forms, notably a novel and a movie as well as a musical adaptation. On its surface, it is not incredibly complex, mostly being thought of as a story for young audiences, despite the dark elements it features. The script of the musical adaptation lacks complexity and features a lot of strange phrasing and jumpy dialogue. Leading up to the production of the show at Smith College, many students on campus are unenthusiastic about the prospect of the show, due to both their perception of the content and the idea that it is a children’s show. In “Against Interpretation,” Susan Sontag claims that form is more important than content. Mia Gage’s production of James and the Giant Peach supports Sontag’s idea because the context surrounding the show is more important to the product than the script or the other content of the show. The context includes the directorial choices made, the cohesive creative vision, and the community that is being created within the production.
One of many elements of the content of a musical is the script. A director is limited in what they can do with a given script, but the agency they take in making cuts or changes can allow the show to become more their own. Many people around campus, including the production team, are of the opinion that the James and the Giant Peach script is, frankly, not very good. Even if people around campus haven’t read the script, they have preconceived notions about what the content will look like. Scenes are often ended in awkward ways, or they include a line that doesn’t match the tone of the rest of the scene. But just because a director may not particularly like the content of the script does not mean that they automatically think that the show will be bad. The actors, the way a scene is staged, and other directorial choices can really change the way that the show comes across. As Sontag states, it is often “assumed that a work of art is its content” (2). But the way that the content is presented, its form, can really change how it appears to its audience. Choosing to focus solely on the script ignores all of the work that the director and the actors have done to add to the larger context of their show, or, in Sontag’s words, “By reducing a work of art to its content and then interpreting that, one tames the work of art. Interpretation makes art manageable, comfortable” (5). When audience members look only at the content of the script, it is easier for them to be dismissive and negative about the work that has been done to make the show more than just the script.
Another important element of the form of a show is the design choices that are made in collaboration between the director and the various members of the design team. These design choices can enhance the content, but they can also take on a life of their own and be an opportunity for designers to express themselves. In “Against Interpretation,” Sontag explains that “…it is the defense of art which gives birth to the odd vision by which something we have learned to call “form” is separated off from something we have learned to call “content” and to the well-intentioned move which makes content essential and form accessory” (2). Seeing form as accessory diminishes the work that has been put into creating it. It is easy for the creative vision of a show to become disjointed when there are many different people working on it, and to have a show where the whole production comes together cohesively is an impressive feat. A lot of this work falls to the director, but it is important for there to be collaboration between design disciplines as well. One example for this production of James and the Giant Peach is the collaboration between the props and costumes designers. For the character of Ladybug, a base level assumption could be made that she would have things that were red with black dots. If there was no communication between designers, the final product could end up being her costume and her accessories looking the same, which would not be interesting or creative. However, the designers for this production are taking care to make sure that the design elements they are choosing will work together. It is possible to think of design choices such as these as part of the content of the show. Instead, they should be viewed as part of the form, because there is a separation between what a production team and cast start with and what they add on to this base level of content. Ideally, the design choices should work with the script, but they should also be able to be viewed as their own form of art that goes beyond the original content.
Something the audience of a show will never truly understand is what it’s like to go through the rehearsal process and be backstage, which is unique to every individual show. Similarly to the directorial and design choices, although much less tangible, community is an element of context that transcends and builds on the content. A production can become a community, and a closer community will often aid in the quality of a production. This production of James and the Giant Peach has already become quite a close community, which has served to make many of the people involved more committed to the process. An audience can tell when the actors on stage are engaged in their performance, and this makes a difference for the overall perception of the show. As stated before, the content of James and the Giant Peach is not particularly deep or groundbreaking. Despite this, there is still an overwhelming belief by those involved that it will be a good show, because of how much they care about the production and each other. Were there not such a close community, this belief in the show would likely be incredibly diminished. How an artist feels about what they are creating is instrumental to the process, and when this creation is a collaboration, how each person feels has an effect on everyone else involved as well. Community is less likely to be seen as an art form than directing or designing, but it is an important part of art nonetheless. Ignoring the community as a part of the context of a show is ignoring the humanity involved.
In all works of art, but in this case especially in theater, it is important to see how the context surrounding a show can change it. No two productions can ever be the same, even if they are using almost the exact same content. By choosing to focus on what you think a show will be, you are not giving those involved in the show a chance to showcase what they have created. As Sontag claimed, focusing on the base level content of a show and choosing to interpret that shows a dissatisfaction with the work (6). With James and the Giant Peach, this move to dissatisfaction comes before the show has even been performed. To make this judgement also disregards all of the work that is being put into the show and focuses on the content without giving the form a chance to speak for itself. This judgement is not just a problem in theater. In any case where there is judgement being passed to art based solely on the content or what the audience thinks the content is, the act of creating the art is made less fulfilling for the creator. Art should be an opportunity for people to express themselves freely without being scared of how their work will be interpreted and may be judged or misconstrued. The content of a work is important, but by only seeing the content, the viewer is missing many levels of meaning. In order to move forward in theater, we should be able to let a production stand on its own without thinking about only past productions or thinking about the script alone. Art that is created in the modern day is based on many different influences. It is important to both recognize these influences and to see the merit of the art as an individual instance.