The TYA Contract: A Social Contractarian Approach to Obligations Between Theatre for Young Audiences (TYA) Companies and Their Constituents

Abstract

This article argues that viewing the relationships between American TYA companies and their constituents through the lens of Social Contract Theory explicates the normally implicit yet mutually understood agreements these parties enter into. A contractarian perspective reveals a complex and inequitable web of expectations and notes that the parties exert variable levels of power and control over each other depending on their access to capital. This diachronic analysis of 3 case studies suggests that TYA companies' constituents, both past and present, expect them to serve as pedagogues; that is, they expect TYA to teach children about theatre and aesthetics, social development, diversity, and traditional academic curricula. These constituents also expect companies to construct childhood in a manner that aligns with the paradigms of the dominant class, to make their productions widely accessible, and to serve as community leaders. TYA companies in turn expect their constituents to invest (fiscally and otherwise) in the theatre, to educate children both before and after they view performances, to manage young peoples' behavior, and to make clear what standards the community expects companies to adhere to. Currently, the expectations between companies and their constituents are unequal, with some parties (such as theatres and actual children) contributing more and having less control over the relationship than others (such as schools and funding agencies). This article questions how these expectations could be made more equitable.