Zombie Thoughts and Ballet for Aliens : Two Plays for Young Audiences

Zombie Thoughts addresses the topic of generalized anxiety disorder set in a video game world. Co-written with a then-nine‑year‑old Oliver Kokai‑Means, the play was first commissioned and developed by small professional company Plan‑B Theatre in Salt Lake City and toured to 10,232 elementary students at Title I institutions (high economic need) with the support of a grant from the NEA in 2018. The audience is introduced to the formal diagnosis and symptoms of anxiety disorders (which in kids looks like combativeness and is often misinterpreted by educators as willful disobedience), and therapeutic coping mechanisms. The play was vetted by a licensed therapist.

Ballet for Aliens was co‑written with both Oliver Kokai‑Means and new playwright, a then-twelve‑year‑old Gerard Hernandez, about Gerard’s experience as a youth with Crohn’s disease. Gerard was a ballet dancer through his childhood, though his health often made this difficult, and the piece required formal ballet movement, so the production was co-created with highly regarded dance company Ballet West’s Peter Christie, their education director. A portion of this play was presented to the Utah Legislature in 2022 to argue for the importance of funding the arts in elementary schools.

Zombie Thoughts and Ballet for Aliens have gone on to be produced across the United States and internationally by school groups, universities, and professional tours of varying theatre sizes. This volume offers both plays and an introduction by Kokai and the youth playwrights, which contextualizes efforts for theatrical interventions in youth mental health.

Jennifer A. Kokai is the director of the School of Theatre and Dance at University of South Florida.

Oliver Kokai-Means and Gerard Hernandez are young writers who found expression in playwriting and advocacy. They have presented on their co-created youth productions at various professional workshops and conferences nationally.