playbill vip

Thank you for attending tonight's performance of James and the Giant Peach.

This was a favorite story of mine as a young girl. Although I had read the story as a child, I had never seen the story staged. Upon my first year of college as a theatre student, the theatre program was presenting the play. The spectacle was outlandish, wondrous and fun but none of this seemed to overshadow the timely message, the message that we never have to feel left out or alone because, right around the corner, almost like magic, a wonderful friend(s) can be found. All you have to do is open your heart to find a heap of happiness. 

James and the Giant Peach has been traditionally staged with imaginative settings and costumes. We love the idea of bringing this story to life with lavish costumes and oversized scenery, but we wanted to put a fun twist on the whole idea of the setting and location. We believed in the message of the play and wanted to explore that with a whole new concept.

Sometimes when you are stuck in a very difficult situation, similar to James' sad living arrangements, you must find a way of escape. James was given a little magic that created friends in the most unlikely places. In this version of James and the Giant Peach, we chose that "unlikely" place to be a hospital. Traditionally, hospitals are not hopeful places, especially for kids, but if we keep our hearts open we might find a friend who gives us hope. There are so many events that unfold in this timeless tale that can be likened to the highs and lows of sickness, treatment and rehabiliatation. We wanted to take these events in the story and parallel it to the journey of a child who wants to go from a dire diagnosis to a radical restoration.

What if the story of James and his giant, insect friends could be a story about a sick boy who lost his parents to a rare disease and with the help of patients, doctors and nurses somehow finds his way from sick to well?

We explore the answer to this question in our production tonight. The characters in the story are patients, doctors, nurses, volunteers and music therapists in the hospital. Those in the hospital choose to put this story on for one another for two reasons 1) escape the boredom and difficulty of living in a hospital and 2) bring some hope to a scary situation. 

Meaningful storytelling allows us to find deeper, more worthwhile moments that can not only entertain but enlighten. We all hope that you leave tonight's performance thinking, believing that an answer to your trouble might be as tangible as the person next to you. 

“Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times,

when one only remembers to turn on the light.”

                                                                 -Dumbledore

Enjoy the Show!

Brittany Taylor, Director