But Just What IS a Terabithia?

The poster for our Young Actor's season opener, Bridge to Terabithia, has been hanging up at work for a couple of weeks now.  I've overheard a few puzzled questions about the show, it would seem the Newberry Award winning book on which it's based is not nearly as famous as it should be!

Courtesy of Amazon.com
A hint perhaps?  The Brown County Library has copies too!

Bridge to Terabithia is the story of two friends; one  leads an average, boring life and feels like an outsider, the other is an outsider and feels perfectly at peace until she is ridiculed for being different ("different" meaning such horrors as "doesn't own a TV" and "lives in a spooky house").  

I was compelled (by a teacher's syllabus) to read Bridge to Terabithia when I was in middle school.  That awkward time when everyone feels like an outsider, kids are cruel for reasons as asinine as "doesn't own a TV" and a person first starts to realize that what they consider to be normal isn't normal for everyone.  At first I balked at the book, I preferred reading fantasy to reading about other people create their own fantasy.  I was oddly annoyed by the female protagonist, the relentless dreamer, Leslie.  And I was enraged by the slow-witted supporting cast; the block-headed siblings and jeering classmates.  Of course by the end of the book, I realized why I had had such a visceral reaction to the book.  I was just like Leslie, and a little like pragmatic protagonist Jesse, too.  I had to deal with being taunted for reading and wearing kooky clothes and not having seen the latest episode of Friends.  Bridge to Terabithia gave my preteen self a way to consider my own life in a way I never had before.  Leslie and Jesse weren't heroes to me, but they had become powerful allies.

Evergreen's Young Actor's shows have always been as much about education as entertainment.  We use children as actors (on of the few children's theatre in the country to do so) and encourage them to assist with technical aspects as well, such as designing costumes, building sets, and creating brilliant light plans (no easy feat!)  But it's not enough for us!  We don't perform mere pageants.  We wish to enrich young audiences as well as entertain them.  We want to give kids something to think about when they leave the theater because, let's face it, kids are smart.

If you've never read this wonderful book before, I urge you to do so.  And if you have a young adult in your home, moping around and despairing of how bored they are, give them a copy of Bridge to Terabithia...I'm sure it will be a nice break from telling them to clean their room.  

Then, see it live September 29-October 2nd!  I'm what would be considered an adult, I've been paying taxes for some years and I've had time to develop skill in dealing with bullies.  But I've still got my tickets...and I hope to see you at the show!

Have you read Bridge to Terabithia?  Let me know what you thought in the comments!  Don't be shy, that's not what theatre is about!

Blogmistress MB

What's Happening Now...Up Coming Shows Fall 2011

The dog days of summer are winding down, but rather than hitting the beach one last time or partaking in Back-to-School sales, we've been busy getting ready for our fall shows!   We are so excited about our Main Stage and Young Actor's season openers this year, so please forgive us if we tend to carry on here with information, director's and actor's commentary and a few sneak peaks behind the scenes of rehearsal...wait, that's what you're here for?  Perfect!

Our Main Stage season opener is Our Town by Thorton Wilder.  This American classic portrays life in a small town; how people live and how they die.  The Westport Theatre in Connecticut produced Our Town in 2002 as a response to 9/11 and we've drawn our inspiration from them for the 10 year anniversary of that tragic day.  What does it mean to be alive, and love, and face your own mortality?  What does it mean to be an American?  We hope you'll be a part of the discussion!  Come see the show September 16-18 and 22-24.  

Our Young Actor's season opener is Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson and Stephanie S. Tolan.  Adapted from the Newberry Award winning book, we present the story of Jesse, an average kid who feels like an outsider in his average family and average town.  Enter Leslie, a new girl from the city who is the ultimate outsider.   Together they form an incredible friendship on the power of their imaginations and dreams of something bigger than what they know.  Come and see the show September 29 - October 2.


As always, more information on Evergreen and our season can be found at evergreenproductions.org.  Stop by and poke around awhile.  And be sure to check back regularly, right here on our blog, for more write ups from directors, actors, designers, and board members to get a peek at life inside a thriving local community theatre.  Maybe you'll be inspired to join us, or at least to join the discussion!


Hope to see you at the shows and around the blog,
Blogmistress MB