When Mrs. Harris presented the show options for Theater for Youth Audiences, selecting "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" was an obvious choice. This story and these characters are so nostalgic, as I grew up watching the Gene Wilder film often and loved the concept of escape to a world of imagination. This version of the show highlights the contrast between the dark realities of the Great Depression and the fantasy world of Willy Wonka's factory. You might notice that the sets and costumes are in black and white in the Bucket home. This is intended to emphasize the desperation of the times, the sadness of the circumstance, and the linear mindset of people just trying to survive. Sweet Grandpa Joe is Charlie's one glimmer of hope and inspiration, representing that staying true to yourself and to reality, and combining that with creativity and imagination can help you build a life of success for yourself and others. That is what the sudden bust of cotton candy and rainbow lollypop colors symbolizes upon entering the factory. During auditions, each and every actor brought something special and unique, making casting incredibly difficult. For this reason, and with the hope to provide challenges and encouragement to reach outside of our comfortable boxes, actors were chosen in two separate casts. Our Snozzberry Cast brings a more whimsy, eccentric, goofy, and wacky energy to their roles, whereas the Gobstopper cast brings vibes that are edgy and unexpected from what we have previously seen from these characters in previous adaptations of this story. Some actors perform their roles in both casts, so they are also challenged to act and react to different character choices being brought to the table by scene partners. Our Oompa Loompas get full fun and creative freedom to make bold choices and individual quirks for their characters while maintaining cohesion and rhythm and mood, but not necessarily defined or guided by words on a page. My goal is that everyone has learned something new about themselves in this process, and is able to embrace these self-discoveries and carry them into their lives moving forward. It has been a complete pleasure working with these talented young people, and I have learned new things about myself too. Thank you all for supporting the Centennial Knights Players in this endeavor, and I look forward to meeting you after the show.
