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By WENDY WEINBERG *- Rappahannock New, Contributing Writer t*, I grew up in Blackpool — a seaside town in northern England ' where entertainment was big business. “Holidaymakers,” as vacationers were called, liked light and frothy slapstick comedies, but I suppose our teachers thought those wore not suitable for schoolchildren, ’. Instead, they took us to “improving” ' cultural events. ; • *■« I well remember a school outing when I was eleven years old to ; attend a touring opera company’s * performance of Wagner’s “Die fliegend Hollander,” or “The Hying ’ Dutchman.” I recall loud and crash;; ‘ tog music which evoked huge waves 'and raging seas, something we saw a . * lot of in Blackpool. But l remember ’ thinking even at the time: surely this’ ; is not the kind of program which ' - children of my age should be ; ; expected to enjoy. Anyway, we did C not enjoy it. I think it turned most of us off opera for a long time. ! 0 Now that I direct the Theatre at Washington, Va., I keep this in mind. < Music and drama should above all ' C <jlse be enjoyable. Heavy and pon[- derous works, unenlivened by wit ; and humor, will not encourage youngsters to attend performances, v-.; But the classics can be hilarious > io audiences of any age. Not many - children came to the theatre in March to see Moliere’s classic comedy, “The Hypochondriac,” but / those who did realized that farce ; written in the 18th century is every bit as funny as farce written nowa1 $ay&. One 11-yearokl who came
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