Cultural Consistency and Controversies on the Play "The Book of Holding On"

Watch The Book of Holding On:
After watching the play, you will submit a two-page (minimum) reaction paper.
Although this paper asks for your reaction to the specific production, it is not a theatre review. You must apply terminology and ideas from our course. Discuss how the work you see is a reflection of the culture in which the production takes place. Are there vital or controversial issues that come up? What do those issues say about the culture in which the play takes place? Please use at least one secondary source and cite your source (within the text and works cited page).
You will be graded on the following:
Your Writing Style – clarity of ideas and expression, grammar, spelling, format etc. Please have an introduction and conclusion as well as clear body paragraphs.
Integration of Course Material – terminology, ideas and themes from this course and how well you integrated them into your reaction paper (including one secondary source.)
Your Understanding of the Production – explanation of which issues and themes were expressed in the production and how these are reflective of culture. (Please do not retell the plot/story.) How do certain production elements (set, costumes, acting, etc.) help illuminate theme, meaning or cultural ideas present in the work.
The Book of Holding On
A young girl's story about the human struggle to deal with change. 13-year-old Emmy hates change but knows that she must learn to accept it. So she starts a Buddhism group at school and writes an imaginative collection of fables called The Little Book of Letting Go. But when one change too many threatens Emmy's perfect world, she decides to sabotage all this change and "freeze the world." THE BOOK OF HOLDING ON is a whimsical, poignant exploration of growing up, teenage mental illness (in particular, obsessive thoughts), and coping with change. The adolescents are played by adult actors, suggesting that the central challenges depicted often last throughout our lives. The cast doubles as characters in Emmy's writings, providing a sense of magic enhanced by the use of eclectic musical instruments.