SHHHHHHH...we the audience are the child listening to this original musical fairytale coming together before our eyes. Sparrows careen around the stage and a Princess, trapped by her own blindness has to learn to "see" her world. Lucky for her she has help.
This tale of music and magic and love leads the audience on a journey into China during the late Han Dynasty, a time when powerful and land-hungry emperors ruled for four hundred years. The Han Chinese were notable for creative invention such as paper and beautiful carving and metalwork and perhaps even mechanical sparrows!
In our story, blind Princess Mei-Lei (Devyn Holyoak) and her Father, good Emperor Ming (Doug Miller) and loyal chamberlain, Sun-Sen (Kory Harding), are about to test the ancient system that holds them together by confronting a warring empire. The aptly-named, evil Emperor Scorpion (Cosmos Worth) and his confused son, Vulture (Reuben Betts), have a clever plan to take over the Ming Empire. In the end, there will be a new emperor, but who will it be?
Can the blind princess learn to see true love? Who can help her find what she is seeking? A monk (Tom Butler)? A magician (David Weiss)? A singing pot-bellied pig? Along the way, two powerful Emperors struggle to gain each other's kingdoms perhaps by any means possible, heroes save the day, and grandmother is always there to help.
CAST will be presenting "The Blind Princess", a world-premiere story of local creation during February 2008, directed by Jim Bull.
This is a family- friendly tale of frustration, greed, romance, and perseverance produced, written and composed by Bill Weiler of Lyle.
Melissa Sandoz is carefully creating historical costume designs, inspired by China's Han Dynasty.
With paper playing such an important role in China, it seemed natural to create sets from it. The sets were designed during sessions of Art In Education's Artist-In-Residence program with Shelley Toon Hight then produced by Jo-Ann Frazier's fifth-grade class at Mid-Valley Elementary and by Janice Webber's fifth-grade class at Pine Grove School. They read the story and created large, pastel backdrops for each scene. The director chose from among several of these wonderful backdrops to be projected on the screen behind the actors. These children will rewarded by a private showing of the play on Feb. 5.
Matinee performances will be Feb. 2, 3, 9, 10, 16 and 17 at 2 p.m. Evening performances are scheduled on Feb. 8 and 15 at 7:30 p.m. All performances will be in the Theater at the Columbia Center for the Arts, 215 Cascade Avenue, in Hood River, Oregon
Ticket prices are $15 and $10 for seniors and students. A special family ticket will be offered at $35 (2 parents and up to 3 children). Tickets are available at Columbia Center for the Arts or Collage of the Gorge at 111 E. Jewett in White Salmon.
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