Power plays MTYP's new season focuses on children's strength and resilience
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 18/03/2019 (2012 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
The artistic director of Manitoba Theatre for Young People is chosing Wednesday — World Day of Theatre for Children and Young People — to officially announce the seven productions of the 2019-20 season of the theatre fixture at The Forks.
The theme running through the season is ability, said Pablo Felices-Luna, “from the innocent belief that ‘I can fly’ in Peter Pan to the strength of a young carer in Tiny Treasures, from the resilience of residential school survivors in The Mush Hole.”
The season is international in its scope — two productions come from Australia, one was a Broadway hit and one adaptation was originally staged… in an Ontario brewery.
The season includes:
Peter Pan (Oct. 18-27)
This show from Toronto’s A Bad Hat’s Production re-imagines J.M. Barrie’s classic tale for the 21st century, with an infusion of live folk and jazz music.
The show was the winner of three Dora Mavor Moore awards, recommended for ages five and up.
It’s also notable for having premièred at the Old Flame Brewery in Port Perry, Ont. The Winnipeg show replicates that circumstance by packing 11 actors into a tight 4.5-by-4.5-metre space.
“It’s the only children’s show I know that started life in a brewery,” says Felices-Luna.
Tiny Treasures (Nov. 8-17)
This MTYP production, recommended for ages eight to 12, tackles the subject of young caregivers in the story of 13-year-old James, who is obliged to care for both his ailing mother and younger sister.
When a school trip comes up, James has to choose between his family and taking care of his own needs.
Originally created by Theatre Hullabaloo in the U.K., the show was the product of extensive workshops with children and young people who look after siblings and parents, says Felices-Luna. This production will be the Canadian première of the play.
A Year With Frog and Toad (Dec. 6-29)
This Christmas-friendly MTYP production for ages three and up is a rollicking musical based on Arnold Lobel’s Frog and Toad books.
It’s been done at MTYP before, “but it’s so perfectly suited for our space,” says Felices-Luna.
“It’s a story of friendship that goes through the season, and the music is so lovely.”
New Owner (Jan. 30-Feb. 2)
This production from A Last Great Hunt in Perth, Australia, comes from the same folks who brought you the western-themed It’s Dark Outside in 2018.
This show uses similar multimedia techniques — puppetry, live action and animation — to tell the story of a puppy named Bernie who seeks to get adopted by the lonely widow Mabel.
This show was actually an offshoot of It’s Dark Outside, in which a brief appearance by a dog warmed the hearts of the audience.
“People loved the dog and that’s where this show comes from,” says Felices-Luna. Recommended for ages eight and up.
The Mush Hole (Feb. 21-March 1)
Produced by Ontario’s Kaha:wi Dance Theatre, this dance show, recommended for ages 13 and up, explores the lives of kids forced to attend Ontario’s Mohawk Institute residential school.
Felices-Luna previously worked with creator Santee Smith, who will appear in the piece, which features performers from two generations to view the residential school experience “through a lens of intergenerational trauma and consequences.
“She is such a thoughtful artist and she takes such care with the subject,” says Felices-Luna.
Beep (March 20-29, 2020)
The second show from Australia, this Windmill Theatre Production out of Adelaide uses music and puppetry to tell a story of a robot who crash-lands into a village and inspires its initially startled residents to help out the beleaguered “Beep.”
Spelling 2-5-5 (May 1-10, 2020)
Playwright Jennifer Overton, who has an adult son on the autism spectrum, once wrote a book about that special parenting experience titled Snapshots of Autism and was encouraged to create a play on the subject, but from the perspective of a sibling.
Spelling 2-5-5 focuses on two brothers who share a room. Simon must adhere to a strict routine to care for his autistic brother, Jake, but when he gets a chance to participate in a televised spelling bee, Simon takes advantage of an opportunity to be the centre of attention.
“This has been on my list of shows I wanted to revisit when I came to MTYP,” says Felices-Luna. “It sounds heavy but Jennifer loves a good funny.”
MTYP subscriptions are available by calling 204-942-8898.
randall.king@freepress.mb.ca
Twitter: @FreepKing
Randall King
Reporter
In a way, Randall King was born into the entertainment beat.
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