Readers should resist the urge to pick out one or two essays to peruse, since what really sets this collection apart is its global, generic, and methodological inclusiveness. We learn not only about stage plays and musicals but also film, TV, dance, and experimental theatre; not only about what adult viewers make of child performers but what former child performers make of their own experiences. This excellent collection of essays should inspire more theatre historians and cultural critics to pay attention to the centrality of children as makers and consumers of entertainment. - Marah Gubar, Director, Children's Literature Program, University of Pittsburgh, USA
The participation of children in entertainment industries the world over has been unquestioned for centuries. This volume makes vital progress in addressing aesthetic, economic, and political questions essential for exposing assumptions and practices which have governed the work of juvenile performers across the globe. Surprising by its geographical and chronological reach, from Bali to Toronto, Melbourne to Naples, and with stories from the Renaissance to YouTube, the scholarship here is rigorous, diverse, and challenging. - Anne Varty, Professor, English Department, Royal Holloway, University of London, UK