Untitled (children in costumes auditioning for theater) c. 1947

Curator: Something about the image, perhaps in its candidness, makes me think about a time when the lines between performance and reality were constantly being blurred. Editor: Indeed. This photograph by Jack Gould, currently held at the Harvard Art Museums, captures a group of children in costume, presumably auditioning for a play. Curator: The scene feels so exposed, like peering into someone's memory. There is this lone adult moving opposite the nervous, excited children, and in the background, the blurred faces of what I imagine are their parents. It's a vulnerable moment. Editor: Absolutely, and Gould’s lens is really capturing something about the social function of theater, especially for children, and the often-intense pressures and expectations, both internal and external, that surround performance. Curator: Exactly! It's a stark reminder of how even the most innocent activities can be shaped by societal norms and expectations. I can almost smell the hairspray and stage makeup! Editor: I find myself pondering the kind of theater these children are auditioning for, and whether the theater, in general, has helped or harmed us in defining and discovering ourselves. Curator: In the end, maybe it's both. It pushes us, and shapes us and helps us understand who we are, and aren't.