Dances with teen angst

Tender truths set to do-si-do discoFor kids, each day tends to be experienced with the dial cranked to top intensity.

That's certainly how it goes for the 14-year-old protagonists of "Teaching Disco Square Dancing to Our Elders: A Class Presentation."

Kenny's shoulders slouch beneath what must seem like the full weight of the world. His pal, Martin, is trying to talk him out of this funk. Sure, they've been assigned "lame" oral presentations. But they have permission to combine projects--they can work together.

Larissa FastHorse's one-hour, five-minute play, geared toward young audiences but filled with enough humor and emotion to keep adults fully engaged, is being given a professional developmental production by the Native Voices program at the Autry National Center. The Santa Monica-based writer addresses a number of Native American social issues, but her message will resonate with anyone who's ever felt alone in a sometimes harsh, ostracizing world.Comment:  For more on the subject, see Native Plays and Other Stage Shows.