Acting : Casting Children...opinions? by Arthur Funni

Once again, as a director/producer/editor of RADIO drama, I was not too sure what to categorize this little piece under. Since there was no tab that said CASTING I had to find somewhere that this would fit. I'm writing this more as a response to my occasional collaborator for it bothers me to no end when this subject comes up. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy working with him as there seems to be an energy that comes about whenever we work together. Still this one subject drives me to no end. I received my theatrical training and then went on to get a teaching licensure in K-12 Theatre Arts along with 6-9 Language Arts and 9-12 English and I've very proud of this. A major chunk of my training was specifically in the realm of children's theatre, too- might I add. That being said, my collaborator drives me up one wall and down the other when the subject of casting kids all the way up to 18 comes up -primarily for roles that were written for children. We've ended up in stale mate after stale mate. On my last radio production, it called for specifically a 9 year old girl and a younger brother and around we went again. As always he suggests with getting adults to play the roles and he finally ticked me off so bad that I finally and literally said, "My production." I've never had to say that before and I hope I never have to again. This idea always angers me though. I grew up in the age where children all had little phonographs. As a very little boy, I would get ticked when these record companies that were supposedly dedicated to children and telling stories for them would get adults to play the roles that were supposed to be played by a kid (i.e. Hansel & Gretl sounded like a middle aged couple, Little Red Riding Hood sounded like a 40 something housewife). I always wondered- if the story was about or for children, then why not at least cast them? Is it too much work or what? When I was a child I would always nix these records, shows, movies and go for the ones who had the real kids in them. I remember when I got angry when Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn were not only played by adults but by women as well (As adults...yes...that would probably be deemed as sexist but to a six or seven year old boy who loves to play football with his buddies on the playground...come on who wants a, "girl," to play Tom or Huck?). Second, as a teacher, I've learned that kids have a sensibility that adults cannot replicate. It comes over a mic or across the stage and this is why writers write children in their stories. No matter how clever the adult actor or actress may think they are about their performance, it just isn't there and that spark is lost. That's why I detest adults in children's roles like Peter Pan, The Sound of Music, Cheaper by the Dozen, Annie and the list goes on. Honestly, I've walked out on and turned off things that do this. I don't think it's fair to the audience or the young actor or actress. So what about all this, folks? Did we as writers goof and write child characters from such an adult perspective that some of us as directors etc are convinced that even though they are supposedly children that only adults can play them? Are there directors/producers out there that are just lazy? Do directors/producers not wish to work with the family because when you cast kids you in essence cast the kid's family (some are good and some are a few fries short of a happy meal)? Thanks a lot for taking the time to read this opinion piece. I'm really curious about how everyone feels and think that this is the best venue to get everyone's opinion.