'New Kid' author Dennis Foon speaks out about kids and fitting in

October 20, 3:52 PMCincinnati Theater ExaminerElizabeth Crowe

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'New Kid' comes to Fairfield Community Arts Center in conjunction with Cincinnati Playhouse Oct. 24
Photo credit to Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park

'New Kid' author Dennis Foon speaks out about kids and fitting in.

Dennis Foon's story, ''New Kid,' is coming to the Fairfield Community Arts Center's stage in conjunction with Playhouse Off the Hill for one night only on this coming Saturday, October 24, 2009, at 7:00 p.m.  'New Kid' is the story of a young boy named Nick from Homeland who comes to live in America.  He has trouble fitting in - other children call him names; his traditions conflict with those here; he has difficulty with the language; and a confrontation with a bully named Mug leads to Nick's special bowl from back home getting broken.  Nick's mom tries to help, but she is having her own difficulties adjusting.  Together, they must find a way to adjust and build a home here.

I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to interview Mr. Foon.  Here is the interview.

What motivated you to write 'New Kid?'

I was invited to an elementary school in Vancouver that had 42 different language groups where I worked with a class of fifth graders to help them write about the immigrant experience. That encounter was a revelation -- I learned how many experiences were shared by people, young and old, who are transplanted into a new environment and have to create a new life. One of the biggest hurdles was language -- so when I began writing New Kid, Jane Baker suggested that I switch the point of view -- in New Kid, the immigrants speak English, and the Americans speak a kind of gibberish, which is actually a kind of fusion-speak that uses a wide range of languages and topical references.

How did you pick the name Mencha for Nick's friend's name?

The "gibberish" has a multitude of references to different languages. Mencha is a character who is able to see Nick as a human being, even though they have huge cultural differences. A "mench" in Yiddish is a good person, someone who takes responsibility for their actions. 

I lived in Guam as a child and was given a puppet by a classmate that I loved. It was torn in half by a bully upon my arrival home at the end of the day and it took a long time before that pain went away. In your story, you write about a bowl that was broken under similar circumstances. Did something like that actually happen in your life or is it a simile for something else?

So sorry to hear about that cruelty you experienced. It's true, that kind of pain can last a long, long time. In the case of New Kid, the story of the bowl is fictional, I wanted an image directly linked to food, and the way people react to unfamiliar smells and spices. Food is such a huge part of our cultural identities. The bowl is something very important to Nick -- it's one of the few things he brings with him to America, a gift from his friends -- and he uses it to bring his lunch to school. When the bully smells Nick's food, it precipitates one of the funniest -- but ultimately saddest -- moments in the play. And if we're lucky, in that moment, the audience totally identifies with the immigrant's perspective.

What message do you hope to impart through the sharing of your story?
That the differences between people are really superficial - and that tolerance and understanding can help a lot in difficult times.

What is your favorite thing about having written 'New Kid?'

The surprise that this simple, funny, provocative play has such resonance with such a huge cross section of people, young and old. It seems to strike a chord with almost everybody. I never realized that this little play was tapping into some universal truths. That feels pretty good.

Show information: The show plays one night only at Fairfield Community Arts Center on October 24 at 7PM. Tickets are $7 for adults and $5 for kids 12 and under. Call the FCAC Box Office at 513-867-5348 or visit them online at www.fairfield-city.org/cac. Programming at the Fairfield Community Arts Center is sponsored in part by a grant from the Ohio Arts Council.