We’re combining so many elements of theatre, music, and movement in our new adaptation of Frances Hodgson Burnett’s “A Little Princess” that we can’t capture all of them in a Tweet or Facebook post. Instead, we’re turning to our blog to give you a sneak-peak into this unique south shore community theatre production that takes a multimedia approach to the classic novel.
There are plenty of adaptations of Frances Hodgson Burnett’s novel, including films and musicals, but we didn’t want to repurpose someone else’s interpretation. Our artistic director, Andrew Child, created a new script highlighting issues that resonate with contemporary south shore audiences. Instead of presenting the story as a period piece, we’re examining classism and xenophobia through methods accessible to all ages. 2. A Choral Experience While our adaptation isn’t a musical, per se, there’ll be music. Our cast, comprised of south shore community members of various experience levels, is busy learning a challenging piece of choral music – Gustav Holst’s “Rig Veda.” The piece captures the fantastical elements of Hodgson Burnett’s novel while providing various moods and tempos to accompany the challenges and joys that protagonist Sara Crewe faces. It also creates a soundtrack for the next element of our adaptation. 3. Moving to Music Our production isn’t strictly a dance piece, but in rehearsals, our cast creates stylized movement to accompany “Rig Veda” and elaborate on Sara’s stories. They’re using found objects, from bed sheets to stuffed animals, in imaginative ways that keep the narrative moving. Both kids and adults will enjoy our cast’s craftiness while trying to keep up with all the pieces of the performance on stage. 4. Locally-Crafted Puppets Have you missed Wild Wood Creation’s puppets during the Suburban Summer Theatre Surge? Don’t worry – Joe Wood built a special monkey puppet specifically for this production, and we’ll also be using shadow puppets like the ones seen in “The Witches.” We know kids loved interacting with the puppets during those performances, so we wanted to bring them back for this year’s children’s piece. 5. A Night Outdoors It’s summertime, so sitting in a stuffy theatre isn’t an appealing prospect. Fortunately, our production is outdoors in the Fuller Craft Museum’s courtyard (except for our sensory-friendly Saturday matinee). We’ll have seating, so don’t worry about bringing a blanket or chair. Enjoying theatre under the stars adds to the play’s mystical elements while giving you an excuse to enjoy warm summer weather. 6. Sensory-Friendly Matinee We want all south shore families to feel welcome at our productions, but we know that traditional theatrical spaces are problematic for children with autism (or other special needs) and their families. To make this production accessible to all families, we’re performing a special sensory-friendly Saturday matinee at 2 p.m. This indoor performance eliminates loud noises and other potentially frightening effects, and audience members can talk and come and go whenever they want. Interested in bringing your family? Get tickets to non-sensory-friendly performances of “A Little Princess” (July 21-23) here. Tickets to the sensory-friendly performance are available here. You can also call 774-240-1013. To keep the performances affordable for local families, they’re just $5 for children and $10 for adults, with all proceeds going directly to the Fuller Craft Museum. Spread the word, and we hope you and your family can join us for this unique south shore theatre experience! Gavin Damore oversees communications and outreach for Artists from Suburbia.
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AuthorBlog posts are written by various members of Artists from Suburbia's productions and staff. Archives
July 2017
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