Two distinct theatrical productions currently playing at Manhattan’s Cherry Lane Theater offer contrasting perspectives on the challenges and lessons of childhood and adolescence. Both one-act shows, performed consecutively, delve into the experiences of young people navigating difficult emotional and social realities.

“School Pictures,” written and performed by Milo Cramer and directed by Morgan Green, is a one-hour musical revue that draws on Cramer’s experience as a private tutor in New York City’s public school system. The performance features a series of vignettes based on portraits of middle and high school students, interspersed with commentary about literature and education. Cramer’s approach blends humor and candidness with moments of sharp critique, highlighting the pressures on students and the inequities within what he describes as “the largest, most complicated and most inequitable school system in the country.”

Using a mix of spoken-sung delivery and minimalist instrumentation—including ukulele and toy piano—Cramer brings to life a range of characters, such as a student worried about disappointing her mother with a poor grade and a teenage libertarian voicing extremist views. Throughout, the production reflects Cramer’s unease with the role of educators and tutors who become agents in perpetuating systemic inequalities. The show premiered in Philadelphia in 2022 and has since been staged in New York, maintaining its relevance amid ongoing debates about educational reform.

In stark contrast, Eliya Smith’s “Two Girls,” directed by Chloe Claudel and Mitchell Polonsky, takes a more unsettling and experimental approach. The play examines how exposure to disturbing and damaging cultural phenomena shapes young people’s understanding of themselves and others. The work centers on Smith’s investigation into the 2007 viral video known colloquially as “2 Girls 1 Cup,” which circulated widely during her middle school years but which she never viewed.

Through verbatim reenactments of recorded interviews with men who witnessed the video as adolescents, performed by Claudel and Juliana Sass, the show explores how the men’s recollections evoke complex associations of revulsion and fascination. The narrative expands to consider how these early exposures contribute to internalized female self-loathing and discomfort with the body. Smith’s inquiry provokes a broader reflection on how cultural inputs, even unseen or secondhand, can profoundly affect identity formation.

“Two Girls” employs a minimalist staging with two chairs and in-ear monitors to recreate the interplay of voices and memories, creating an intimate and somewhat disquieting atmosphere. The piece ultimately raises more questions than answers about the formation of childhood trauma and societal attitudes toward the female body.

Together, these productions offer complementary but divergent insights into the ways young people absorb and respond to the difficulties they encounter, whether through educational pressures or cultural contamination. Their presence on the Cherry Lane stage invites audiences to consider the complexities of growing up in a society marked by inequality, exposure to harmful content, and evolving self-perceptions.