The Neuqua theatre department has been hard at work for their winter play, “The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane,” taking place at the Neuqua Valley Auditorium on Dec. 11 and 12 at 7 p.m. The process for choosing the winter play is relatively simple, as the directors typically choose the show, and if there are multiple directors, it’s a more collaborative process where they all meet together and find a show that is best suited for the year.
According to the director of the show, Ms. Kaitlyn Sparkman, the show “The Miraculous Journey Of Edward Tulane” was originally a children’s book by Kate DiCamillo that later was made into a play about the adventures of a china rabbit doll and his experiences and path to self discovery. This show specifically was chosen by Sparkman because both the book and the show are fantastical and imaginative, and they have a distinctive way of storytelling.
“The staging, set and costumes are all simple, but these elements all work together to tell a really beautiful and complex story about the importance of love and community,” Sparkman shared.
The stage and technical aspects of the show differ from many other productions at Neuqua since the audience sits directly on the stage where the actors are performing. The audience gets a very up close view of the actors and the talented performance; the play itself is set in a very intimate fashion.
The different seating arrangements aren’t the only thing that makes the winter play so unique. This show is one of the only shows at Neuqua that has a cast of less than 10 people, as many of the cast members play more than one role and are able to experiment with acting for multiple characters.
“They need to create different voices, physical behaviors and personalities for each of their different roles. It has been so wonderful to see this dedicated cast show up each day and challenge themselves to try different things,” Sparkman said.
The cast has been working hard for their upcoming show, and is excited to perform. Maya Wunder, a sophomore at Neuqua, plays Edward Tulane, the lead in the show, and is excited because it’s her first year ever participating in the winter play.
“I’ve never played a rabbit [doll] before…and I’m really excited because this is a lot different from other stuff I’ve acted in…it gives me a chance to do something new.”
However, there are a set of challenges that come along with having to act out a rabbit doll, especially coordination-wise.
“The difficult part is that I never actually touch the Edward doll, and nobody really talks to me directly because I’m his inner thoughts,” explained Wunder.
Overall, the winter show at Neuqua is a distinct and different theatre experience for both the actors and the audience alike, with lots of hard work, talent and dedication put into making it a great production.
