When the student actors with Animas High School’s Osprey Theatre Company take the stage Tuesday at Durango Arts Center, they will be accompanied by a sparse set. In fact, the only thing they’re bringing with them is a trunk, which will contain everything they need to stage “Through the Looking Glass.”
“At AHS, we are helping to create critical thinkers, and after some discussion with my technical director, AHS teacher Oliver Kennedy, we decided on a “trunk play,” said Joy Kilpatrick, AHS theater and playwriting teacher, in an email. “This would give us the opportunity to have a minimal set with props and costumes living inside a trunk (the central set piece) onstage. At the same time, this was an opportunity to challenge my actors’ imagination to create engaging characters who breathe, live and move in this ‘looking glass world.’”
If you go
WHAT: Animas High School’s Osprey Theatre Company presents “Through the Looking Glass Trunk Show.” With special guest AHS comedy improv group Rad-Bunkulous.
WHEN: 7 p.m. Tuesday.
WHERE: Durango Arts center, 802 East Second Ave.
TICKETS: $10 general admission, $5 AHS students and staff members.
MORE INFORMATION: Scan QR code for tickets.
Based on the 1871 book, “Through the Looking-Glass,” by Lewis Carroll, and adapted by Lindsay Price, “Through the Looking Glass” is the story of Alice (of “Alice in Wonderland”), who, according to Theaterfolk’s website, “is back in Wonderland and things are more confusing than ever – flowers talk, the White Queen cries before she pricks her finger, and there’s a life-sized chess game going on. Alice wants to play, but mostly wants to be queen. Will she make it to the eighth square?”
Kilpatrick said the choice of production for this semester was given to her students, who were tasked with filling out a play selection form. The consensus came down to an “adventurous dramedy set in a fantasy world,” she said. “That sounded like a Lewis Carroll story to me, so I found a one-act adaptation of ‘Through The Looking Glass’ by Lindsay Price.”
Ahead of Tuesday night’s show at the DAC, the class of 17 students – 13 actors and four technical crew members – took their show to Animas Valley Elementary and Park Elementary schools this week as part of the class’ vision that the art of theater – and this play in particular – is a way to share a story with younger students that will inspire their imaginations and build connections in a “fun shared experience.”
“Throughout history, storytelling has served as a vital form of expression that transcends cultures and generations. Among all storytelling forms, theater truly stands out as an art that captivates audiences and imparts valuable life lessons,” she said. “‘Through the Looking Glass’ speaks to the themes of wonder, adventure and the challenges of growing up and understanding oneself – something I imagine we have all experienced at some point in time.”
And that connection between audience and the theater company will carry over to Tuesday night’s performance as well.
“Recent studies have shown that when we experience a live performance together, our heartbeats can synchronize, creating an incredible connection to one another,” Kilpatrick said. “That’s a powerful reason to share the magic of theater.”
katie@durangoherald.com
