By JULES SHINKLE
BG Independent News
Many people wonder: how did humans domesticate the cat? Why do whales only eat small fish and krill? What exactly is an armadillo?
Allow Horizon Youth Theatre’s latest production, “Just So Stories”, to answer these questions and more. The play is an adaptation of a book by Rudyard Kipling, author of “The Jungle Book”.
Originally published in 1902, the “Just So Stories” are a collection of children’s fables on how some animals came to be.
The play is adapted by HYT Vice President Keith Guion and co-directed by a panel of students: Alexander Sands, Greta Chung, Violet Grossman, Maggie Otley, and Juliet Erekson.
Performances are this weekend (Jan. 9 -11) at the Grand Rapids Old Town Hall on 24282 Front St. Friday and Saturday’s shows are at 7 p.m. and Sunday’s matinee is at 2 p.m.
Guion’s “Just So Stories” follows a group of children who settle into a bookstore run by a Mr. Reed. Mr. Reed leads a story time using Kipling’s titular book, selecting stories whose animals share a kinship with each listener. With the help of Reed’s imaginary ‘Figments’, the children act out these fables.
For the pouting Cameron, he tells the story of “How the Camel Got His Hump.” Just like Cameron, the camel was disinterested in work and wanted nothing to do with others. All he did was lay “‘scrutiating idle” and say “Humph!” in response to animals’ requests for help. Fed up with his attitude, a Djinn rolled in on a cloud of dust and puffed up the camel’s back into a round humph (we call it a “hump” now, not to hurt his feelings).
According to Kipling, he titled the collection “Just So Stories” on account of the way his children insisted the stories be retold verbatim; they had to be “just so.” His prose and choice of wording are indeed particular for a children’s book – the kangaroo’s pride was “inordinate,” or the sailor had “infinite resource and sagacity.” Kipling also took many liberties with shortening words – excruciating became ‘scrutiating, astute became ‘stute, and so on.
Kipling borrows words belonging to non-English speaking cultures, such as “panchayat,” a type of governmental meeting held in rural India. The inquisitive children are quick to interrupt and question Mr. Reed on these words, but they pick up on the vocabulary in time.
There’s a lot of charm in the way these serious sounding, uncommon turns of phrase make Kipling’s mythology seem inscrutable yet playful. Think Dr. Seuss, but more grounded.
The student-led production team has done an excellent job embracing the “story time” retelling of these classic fables. The team consists of: Emma Nester, stage manager; Eve Barman, technical director; Harley Partlow, producer; and Alexander Sands, graphics.
The cast is as follows: Oliver McClure (Mr. Reed), Livy Emch (Ellie, Bat, Dingo), Gavin Snyder (Willie, Whale), Quinn Schnieder (Ruth, Dog, Kangaroo), Clarissa Hensley (Tori, Cow, Tortoise), Kameri Green (Edda, Man, Nquing, Hedgehog), Surya Vela (Cameron, Camel, Jaguar), Millie Altman (Kat, Djinn, Cat), Carina Motisher (Figment 1, Horse, Mother), Nadia Chung (Figment 2, Dog, Nqong), and Sivaji Vela (Figment 3, Ox, Fish).
Dust off the dictionary and come curious – “Just So Stories” will address the many mysteries of our animal kingdom.
