Keene State Theatre stages "The Phantom Tollbooth"
The Phantom Tollbooth, the family classic about a boy’s journey through a fantastic world to find the value of learning and knowledge, will be brought to life by the Keene State College Theatre and Dance Department on Wednesday to Saturday, March 4 to 7 at 7:30 p.m. in the Main Theatre of the Redfern Arts Center. A special school matinee will be performed at 9:30 a.m. Friday, March 6, and everyone is invited to join the school performance. Tickets are $10 for the general public, $8 for senior citizens, $6 for KSC students, and $5 for the school performance. Call the box office at 603-358-2168 or order online at www.keene.edu/racbp.
The Keene State production will use actors and puppets to recreate The Phantom Tollbooth, the adolescent adventure novel written by Norton Juster in 1961 and adapted for the stage by Susan Nanus. The play is a sampling of the many characters in the book such as the Watchdog, the Humbug, and the Mathemagician and contains plenty of puns that children can giggle over and adults can appreciate.
Presenting a family oriented play is a good learning experience for Keene State theatre students and is a good way to introduce live theatre to a younger audience. KSC Theatre Professor Daniel Patterson chose to direct The Phantom Tollbooth because it is a little more sophisticated than most children’s theatre and has a clear educational message and complex plot that can be appreciated by people all ages.
The adventure follows Milo, who drives a toy car through a tollbooth into a fantastic world that is very different from ours, but that is very real to the characters living there. Milo journeys to a city called Dictionopolis, where the King of the world of letters and words send him on a mission to rescue two princesses, Rhyme and Reason, who are imprisoned in a castle floating high above the ground. During his quest Milo meets all sorts of unusual creatures, half of whom will be portrayed by student actors and the other half will be puppets designed by Theatre Professor Céline Perron. These puppets will be manipulated and given voice by the student actors, which requires a large cast, some of whom play multiple roles.
Abigail Gill of Troy, N.H., plays Milo and Mitchell Reid Hodge of Windham, Maine, is the watchdog. Other cast members include Laura Beltz of Hooksett, N.H.; Josh Bernard-Kriegl of Dover, N.H., Matthew Geary of Exeter, N.H., Henri Hardina-Blanchette of Northampton, Mass., Danielly Kelley of Waterbury, Conn., Kenzie Klem of Harvard, Mass., Meg Lacey of Holliston, Mass., Kristen Licht of Leominster. Mass., Bridgette Lord of Wantagh, N.Y., Keith Medlock of Exeter, N.H., Dominique Pascoal of Manchester, N.H., Megan Pereira of Randolph, N.J., Mia Plympton of Marblehead, Mass., Danielle Roberts of Dobbs Ferry, N.Y., and Alaina Vickers-Dodge of Wilton, N.H.
Jillian Strazzere of Wilmington, Mass., is the stage manager. Emily Allinson of Berwick, Maine, and Lissy Barnes-Flint of Winooski, Vt., are assistant stage managers.
About Keene State Theatre and Dance Department
The Department of Theatre and Dance is dedicated to providing a comprehensive course of study that balances theory and practice within a sound liberal arts education. The collaborative nature of theatre and dance disciplines fosters an atmosphere in which students work closely with peers and faculty to gain practical experience in all facets or production and critical engagement. As artists and teachers, our primary focus is to encourage and guide our students as they find their creative voices and experience and question the world through the arts. For more information about the Theatre and Dance Department, visit http://academics.keene.edu/tad or call 603-358-2162
