MONMOUTH — Bring your young adventurers to the jungle this summer to watch Mowgli the man-cub come face-to-face with cheeky monkeys, noisy vultures, and more in The Theater at Monmouth’s Family Show production of “The Jungle Book” adapted by Greg Banks from the tales of Rudyard Kipling.
Follow the rambunctious and curious man-cub Mowgli and his adopted jungle family — Baloo the bear, Bagheera the panther, and all the beasts who call the mysterious wilderness home. Performances begin Saturday, June 29, at 1 p.m. through Thursday, Aug. 15, with matinee performances on both weekdays and weekends. Patrons have an opportunity to meet the wild cast on the steps of Cumston Hall following the performances.
Greg Banks’ script plays on the nostalgia of Kipling’s tales while providing a modern retelling for audiences. A cast of only five actors will fill 20 scripted roles in this adventurous production. “Mowgli is how all children are when they start off in the world,” says Banks. “Just curious, unafraid, energetic, excited about the world.”
From mischievous monkeys to slithering snakes and venerable vultures, Mowgli’s tale is one of maintaining confidence in the face of danger and of quick-thinking hijinks to avoid ferocious foes and craft fierce friendships. Producing Artistic Director Dawn McAndrews gives over the playwright reins and directs this year’s family show, “I had thought that we would continue the tradition of creating our own modern takes on great literary classics, but when I read Greg Banks’ play, I knew it was the way to go, and that I wanted to direct it.”
“The Jungle Book” is certainly familiar to most from Disney’s 1967 animated feature or 2013 live-action film. In Banks’ adaptation it literally takes a small village of adopted animal parents to keep the man-cub, now wolf-cub, safe while teaching him the laws and ways of the jungle.
Cast in the major roles are Caitlin Ort as Father Wolf & Baloo; Michael Dolan as Shere Khan & Vulture; Tessa Martin as Bagheera & Wolf & Vulture; Sarah Goldman as Mowgli; and Kara Green as Mother Wolf & Kaa. Set design by Katie Keaton, costume design by Elizabeth Rocha, lighting design by Laura Happel, and sound design by Rew Tippin.
All performances are at 1 p.m. Additional performance dates of “The Jungle Book” are July 6,13,20 and 30, a well as Aug. 3,6,9,15. For calendar and reservations, contact the TAM box office at 207.933.9999 or visit www.theateratmonmouth.org.
Theater at Monmouth, founded in 1970, was named the Shakespearean Theater of Maine by the State Legislature in 1975. The theatre’s mission is to present innovative approaches to Shakespeare and other classic plays through professional productions that enrich the lives of people throughout Maine. Since its founding, TAM has produced expertly crafted, engaging productions in its three-month Summer Repertory Season entertaining audiences from 36 states and through Education Tours annually reaching more than 15,000 students statewide.
