By Sarah Garic

June Carryl has a love affair with a certain kind of magic: When you tell a child that they have a story, they blossom! They participate. They invest in the realization that their bodies and presence make a difference in the world. In June’s new play The Girl Who Made the Milky Way, we become one among the animal crew and accompany Little Sister on her journey to find her story amidst the vivid world of Khoisan mythology. Little Sister’s adventure is an empowering invitation to all children, notably children of color, that they too have stories to share! And those stories are important! They have a place in the world and will be illuminated by the light of many Khoisan stars and a moon.

For those, such as myself, who may not be familiar with Khoisan mythology and traditions, the Khoisan are an ancient ethnic group with a long and intriguing history, believed to be the oldest human inhabitants of southern Africa. June finds a brilliant balance between context and hands-on exploration of the Khoisan world.

And on that note, we had the delight of delving deep into this magical world in our conversation.

Sarah Garic: Younger audiences are a fun group! They’re unbelievably honest, no filter, and so much energy! What inspired you to write this play for younger audiences?

June Carryl: In 2013, I had the idea to write a play for young Black audiences. I was at a bookstore trying to donate books to the Union Rescue Mission in downtown LA. It was a reminder that we have to start bringing diverse voices into the mainstream. And a way to do so, is to do it myself.

Then, when Imagine Theatre’s artistic director Armina LaManna came to me with this Khoisan myth she’d  learned about from a Star Trek episode and asked if I wanted to write a play about it, I said, “Yes,” as though this were my mandate in life. I had put out into the universe that I wanted to write a play for young audiences. It was very fortuitous.

Storytelling is so empowering for kids. Any exposure teaches them that they have stories too. I have seen this transformation on multiple accounts. When I was teaching Shakespeare and acting to students in a housing unit it was powerful to see them find ownership in these stories. As Black and brown students, Shakespeare is for them, too. The whole thing of working with kids really does kind of save your soul. The chance to do it again as a playwright? It’s heaven.

Sarah: In your play, Little Sister is searching for her missing father. It’s something many of us, and unfortunately many audience members, can relate to – a missing parent. What effect did this have on this play, on your audience?

June: A missing parent for any reason is a potent reason for damage in our world. And parents can be absent in so many ways, even emotionally absent.

I was on a bus one day, and there were so many loud kids. And then I realized that they just wanted to be seen and heard. This is how kids extend and ground themselves. And if they’re kids of color, they’re loud because they are invisible. Kids of color are turned into adults, forced to be adults at too young of an age. Black girls in particular often learn that they can’t be innocent. And a key part of that is related to who is at home? Who is missing?

Little Sister’s search for her father is reflective of children taking on the responsibility of what happens in their world. However, in this case, I was interested in bringing her responsibility back to a reasonable proportion. In this play, her sole job is to be a kid. Little Sister is not supposed to do more than is her share. The same thing needs to be there for little boys.

Sarah: It’s ever a dance to balance cultural expectations and individual wants and needs! What are some of these unfair expectations for Little Sister? There seemed to be a trend around cooking? In fact, eating of all sorts seemed to feature prominently in this play, as even “The Mountain has eaten herself into a stupor!”

June: Little Sister has the opportunity to break out of the mold of what little girls are supposed to do. Importantly, this society is neither matriarchal nor patriarchal. The father may be hunting and the mother may be gathering, but you could also hunt if you were a woman. The gender roles are not very rigid, particularly at a younger age.

In fact, there is fascinating story about how a kid turns lions into stars. There is a sense of empowerment that is accorded to the feminine that works counter to the fact that women do things such as the cooking. It doesn’t necessarily mean that one is more important than the other.

Sarah: Shapeshifting is delicious in this play, particularly that of Mantis. I had always thought there was something extra special about a mantis! They’re far too wise to be contained in one being. What role does shapeshifting play in this world?

June: I love that this role can be cast as a man or a woman. This idea is, you can be anything! The body can do anything, become any animal or mythical creature. I loved being in the headspace of someone who is very smart, creative, and empowered by that creativity! This reinforces the idea that you can figure it out to a degree. You do need help, but you can become!

Mantis is a mentor because Mantis reflects back what Little Sister’s abilities are. We all need that reinforcement: mentor by mirroring.

Sarah: Mantis emphasizes the importance of taking care of ourselves and the people and things we hold dear. Speaking of which, there were some lost Hare boots amiss! What was the inspiration for the lost things?

June: The idea of a collection of things that we lose and miss is relatable. Everyone has had that thing that meant a lot to them, that thing that you held dear, that you let go of, or that was taken from you. Father going missing involved a whole set of things lost: security, love, play, adventure, a sense of one’s own capabilities.

Little Sister has a sense of her capabilities in her head, but she needs to practice. Mantis says, “You should know that power of helping your friends.” She knows that cooking isn’t all that there is to her world. After her journey, she comes back with a story, which is reinforcement that she has a place in the world: I Am. But I am also Somebody.

Sarah: Hare and Lion have a joyful banter that reminded me of my family – lots of love even though Lion had almost eaten Hare. Fill us in, what is the tension holding these two together?

June: This touches on sibling rivalry. Big brother, little brother; funny and at the same time relatable. There is a constant trying to get the last word. Lion is the ladies man and Hare is the whatever dude.

I was also exploring masculinity. Hare finds his own self-worth when he finds the answer to the riddle about the shoes. Boys are so early ensconced in this societal pressure to be the aggressor, but sometimes you can just be smart, and that counts. So often, sensitive boys can fall onto that more aggressive path. There needs to be room for everyone, every type. There is no one way to be a person.

Sarah: Ooo please expand upon the riddles! I loved them! Despite the fact that some of them really stumped me!

June: Most of the riddles were South African. Riddles are part of the culture of learning. They are a means of passing down the culture. I also value that they support critical thinking and engagement.

Little Sister also contributed; she came up with riddles. In this manner, wisdom is currency. With the riddles, Little Sister was able impart wisdom as well as to receive.

Also, the delivery of the riddles kind of breaks the 4^th wall, without devolving into too much chaos in this younger audience. There were students who were excited to say that they had the correct answers to all the riddles!

Sarah: Is there an additional idea/theme that was important to you in writing this play that we haven’t touched on?

June: I wanted to make sure I wasn’t talking down to the kids. I was constantly asking the question: Would a kid understand and receive this? Because kids know so much more than we give them credit for, it’s very important not to baby talk. My hope is that the play succeeds in speaking to a younger audience without speaking down to them. 

“The Girl Who Made the Milky Way” will have two final performances at The Colony Theatre on Saturday, Nov. 16 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. and Sunday, November 17 at 4 p.m. For tickets and more information, call (818) 649-9474 or go to imaginetheatreca.org.