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CNN Sunday Morning

'The People Garden' About Responsibility

Aired January 27, 2002 - 08:57   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: A play about children and responsibility is on Broadway -- or off Broadway, I should say. It's "The People Garden," and the characters are learning more than just lines. They're learning about life. Here's CNN's Brian Palmer.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN PALMER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): To the untrained eye, this may look like chaos. But to the man behind this apparent madness -- writer, director, producer Paul Armento -- it's simply one high-spirited moment during a rehearsal of "The People Garden," a musical about a kindergarten class that has lost a beloved teacher and must adjust to a new one.

PAUL ARMENTO, "THE PEOPLE GARDEN": It's about the lessons you learn as children and about the things -- and how you need to nurture children. You need to make sure that they learn these lessons well. That they learn not to steal, they learn not to lie, they learn to treat each other poorly and not to be bullies.

PALMER: From their cozy rehearsal space in a New Jersey garage, they've taken the show to the big city, New York, to off Broadway's York (ph) Theater.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Chuck (ph), pushing isn't allowed here or anywhere, for that matter. If I ever see you do that again...

PALMER: Twelve year old David Jastrab plays Chuck (ph) the bully.

DAVID JASTRAB, ACTOR: It's fun -- I mean, because I'm not a bully in real life. And there are bullies that I've had in the past. So it's kind of like mocking them in a way, but I also use them as an influence.

PALMER: Eleven year old Alexa Eisenstein plays Ellen (ph).

ALEXA EISENSTEIN, ACTRESS: I've played every single role except for Adam (ph). My favorite role out of all of them, Eddie (ph).

PALMER (on camera): Why?

EISENSTEIN: Because he's just fun.

PALMER: Yeah?

EISENSTEIN: Eddie (ph), he's like a -- he can do whatever he wants on stage. He can suck on his foot and it's still being in character.

PALMER (voice-over): The plays message has clearly rubbed off on the actors, like Jessica Peters.

JESSICA PETERS, ACTRESS: I learned to care about each other more.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's it?

PETERS: And that you have to be much nicer to each other, and that you just can't do whatever you want to do. It's not all about you. You don't get everything you want.

PALMER: Faith Anderson is the cast's sole adult, who often plays her grownup role offstage with the junior cast members when the director is busy.

FAITH ANDERSON, ACTRESS: There's so much to deal with with the kids, he's so grateful to have somebody who doesn't have to be, you know, taken care of.

PALMER (on camera): "The People Garden" will be running here at the York (ph) Theater indefinitely. After the York (ph), some of the cast members will move on to bigger, more lavish productions. Still, after dozens of performances, already a handful here on this off Broadway stage, all of the kids have made it.

Brian Palmer, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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