Return of Rock Lobster - The Story of Aaron Fricke
Return of Rock Lobster
A new stage adaptation breathes fresh life into a groundbreaking tale of bigotry against gay youth.
Written by Aaron Fricke in 1981, Reflections of a Rock Lobster is an autobiographical tale of the then 18-year-old high school senior who — more than three decades before Constance McMillen made headlines in Mississippi — successfully sued his Rhode Island school for the right to take a same-sex date to the prom. "I remember reading this book 30 years ago and thinking, I would never have had the courage to do that," says Burgess Clark, executive artistic director of the Boston Children's Theatre (BostonChildrensTheatre.org). Clark has now adapted the groundbreaking story into a play that will make its world premiere in March at the Boston Center for the Arts.
The play, which explores topics not often associated with children's theater — gay teens, prejudice, depression — is part of BCT's commitment to broadening the diversity of the arts for today's youth. "Three years ago when I assumed leadership of BCT," says Clark, "I wanted to dedicate it to doing stories of history and triumph through the eyes of a child. We started with The Diary of Anne Frank, and this past year we did To Kill a Mockingbird. Rock Lobster will be third in this series."
http://www.advocate.com/Print_Issue/Advance/Return_of_Rock_Lobster/
