NEYT presents 'Just So, Mr. Kipling'
By JON POTTER, Reformer Staff
Posted: 03/19/2009 02:59:54 AM EDT
Thursday, March 19
BRATTLEBORO -- Almost in passing, as he was touting the New England Youth Theatre's newest show, director Peter Gould dropped a historical bombshell.
"I found a long-forgotten film of Rudyard Kipling sledding on Black Mountain Road," he said.
Whoa, stop the presses! What a find!
It turns out, that bit of news probably nothing more than a fabulous tale -- which is fitting, considering the show itself is based on fabulous tales.
Starting Friday, NEYT will make its second foray into the world of Kipling's literature with "Just So, Mr. Kipling."
Gould and a cast of nearly two dozen NEYT actors ages 9-13 bring four of Kipling's marvelous "Just So" stories to life. Audiences will learn "How the Camel Got His Hump," "How the Elephant Gained her Trunk," "How the Rhinoceros got his Ugly Coat" and "Why and When King Crab Played with the Sea."
"These are stories that you think you know, until you read them," said Gould, who wrote and directed a well-received production of "Jungle Book" for NEYT two years ago.
In "Just So, Mr. Kipling," audiences will see these four "Just So" stories brought to life in four different theater styles -- "from Samuel Beckett to 'Slumdog Millionaire,'" Gould said.
As the tales unfold, a fifth story also comes to life. In "Just So, Mr. Kipling," audiences meet Kipling's first-born child, his "best beloved" Josephine, a daughter of England, India and Vermont,
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born on Black Mountain with a view of Brattleboro and Monadnock. She was the child for whom his stories were written. Tragically, she died when she was 6, and the "Just So" stories were part of Kipling's grief therapy. Gould and the NEYT bring Josephine back to life, at age 10, "almost as an angel," Gould said.
"I feel like, in a magical way, she tapped me on the shoulder and said 'I'm the one he wrote these stories for,'" Gould said.
"Just So, Mr. Kipling" deals with the tragic circumstances out of which the stories were born, but it's anything but sad. Instead, it's a high-energy show which careens from Arabia to Africa to India, with a nod to the time Kipling spent in Brattleboro. It combines acting, recitation of Kipling's brilliant prose, music, dancing and physical theater. Josephine comes back, and you'll welcome her as she goes with you on a wild ride.
"She herself says 'Don't be sad about this. No, no, no, don't be sad. These stories were written for me, and now they belong to the whole world,'" Gould explained.
Created in a true collaborative spirit, the young actors are not shy about sharing their ideas for the show, many of which have been incorporated.
As such, they are true collaborators in the creative process, all while learning a raft of performance styles and techniques. As such, there's a sixth story unfolding on the NEYT stage -- "How the Young Actors Earned Their Wings."
See for yourself. Performances are Friday to Sunday, March 20-22 and Thursday to Sunday, March 26-29. Evening shows are Thursday at 7 p.m., Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. Matinees are Saturday and Sunday at 3 p.m. Tickets are $11.50 for adults, $9.50 for seniors and $7.50 for students.
Call the box office at 802-246-6398 or buy tickets at www.neyt.org.
By JON POTTER, Reformer Staff
Posted: 03/19/2009 02:59:54 AM EDT
Thursday, March 19
BRATTLEBORO -- Almost in passing, as he was touting the New England Youth Theatre's newest show, director Peter Gould dropped a historical bombshell.
"I found a long-forgotten film of Rudyard Kipling sledding on Black Mountain Road," he said.
Whoa, stop the presses! What a find!
It turns out, that bit of news probably nothing more than a fabulous tale -- which is fitting, considering the show itself is based on fabulous tales.
Starting Friday, NEYT will make its second foray into the world of Kipling's literature with "Just So, Mr. Kipling."
Gould and a cast of nearly two dozen NEYT actors ages 9-13 bring four of Kipling's marvelous "Just So" stories to life. Audiences will learn "How the Camel Got His Hump," "How the Elephant Gained her Trunk," "How the Rhinoceros got his Ugly Coat" and "Why and When King Crab Played with the Sea."
"These are stories that you think you know, until you read them," said Gould, who wrote and directed a well-received production of "Jungle Book" for NEYT two years ago.
In "Just So, Mr. Kipling," audiences will see these four "Just So" stories brought to life in four different theater styles -- "from Samuel Beckett to 'Slumdog Millionaire,'" Gould said.
As the tales unfold, a fifth story also comes to life. In "Just So, Mr. Kipling," audiences meet Kipling's first-born child, his "best beloved" Josephine, a daughter of England, India and Vermont,
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born on Black Mountain with a view of Brattleboro and Monadnock. She was the child for whom his stories were written. Tragically, she died when she was 6, and the "Just So" stories were part of Kipling's grief therapy. Gould and the NEYT bring Josephine back to life, at age 10, "almost as an angel," Gould said.
"I feel like, in a magical way, she tapped me on the shoulder and said 'I'm the one he wrote these stories for,'" Gould said.
"Just So, Mr. Kipling" deals with the tragic circumstances out of which the stories were born, but it's anything but sad. Instead, it's a high-energy show which careens from Arabia to Africa to India, with a nod to the time Kipling spent in Brattleboro. It combines acting, recitation of Kipling's brilliant prose, music, dancing and physical theater. Josephine comes back, and you'll welcome her as she goes with you on a wild ride.
"She herself says 'Don't be sad about this. No, no, no, don't be sad. These stories were written for me, and now they belong to the whole world,'" Gould explained.
Created in a true collaborative spirit, the young actors are not shy about sharing their ideas for the show, many of which have been incorporated.
As such, they are true collaborators in the creative process, all while learning a raft of performance styles and techniques. As such, there's a sixth story unfolding on the NEYT stage -- "How the Young Actors Earned Their Wings."
See for yourself. Performances are Friday to Sunday, March 20-22 and Thursday to Sunday, March 26-29. Evening shows are Thursday at 7 p.m., Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. Matinees are Saturday and Sunday at 3 p.m. Tickets are $11.50 for adults, $9.50 for seniors and $7.50 for students.
Call the box office at 802-246-6398 or buy tickets at www.neyt.org.