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WIU theatre troupe captivates Kid Zone audience
by diane vance/gate city staff writer
Keokuk elementary students attending after-school Kid Zone Wednesday watched live theater, “The Tales of the Quilter,” at Hawthorne Elementary School.
Western Illinois University's regional touring theatre company travels to schools in the Tri-State Area to perform live theater with teaching lessons.
WIU graduate students Emily Cherry and Erin Roe, along with undergrad students Tristen Tapscott and Andy Trusley, brought a fast-paced tale of a young girl seeking to make a difference in her world and looking for fulfillment.
The “stage” was Hawthorne's gym; the “set” was several umbrellas - from large beach umbrellas to colorful rain umbrellas and smaller parasols. Some were on wheels to move around and were alternately trees or shelter; some umbrellas laid open on the floor, creating a screen for the actors to hide props until needed and change costumes between scenes.
A few wooden benches and cubed wooden boxes, brightly painted, stacked and moved around in various formations to create scenes, completed the set.
Mocked by her town elders for not believing their one, narrow vision of the world, the young girl sets off to find adventure and see other countries for herself.
She is disillusioned by the many poor, hungry and cold people she encounters. She is dismayed by wars and disasters.
She begins to give away what she has until she has no more. Walking along cold, hungry and barefoot herself, she encounters another poor girl who gives her shoes.
She finds an apple tree and picks fruit to feed herself, then encounters others more desperate than herself and before she realizes, she has given away all the apples she carried without eating any.
A mother and son huddled cold in a doorway inspire her to gather what she can from nature and sew a quilt.
“Something magical happens,” the narrator tells the audience.
Butterflies and birds contribute to the quilt and it is finished overnight. The young girl slips the warm and beautiful quilt over the mother and son who never wake to see their benefactor.
The young girl continues to make quilts and gives them to those in need.
One day a king spies one of the magical, beautiful quilts and wants one. He has everything, but not a quilt. His treasures and possessions are not enough to satisfy him. He discovers he cannot buy one; the young girl only makes quilts to give away to poor people.
The play includes audience participation. Keokuk students were selected to follow the girl in her journey; other students came on stage later to present gifts to the king for his birthday. All of the audience (which included Kid Zone students from George Washington and Wells-Carey as well as Hawthorne) was invited to chorus back to the actors the question, “Who do I make my quilts for?” by answering, “Poor people.”
The king tries to obtain a quilt; he tries to harm the young quilter. She advises him to give away his possessions to find happiness.
“If you give away your treasures, I will sew one square in a quilt for each treasure you give away,” the quilter told the king.
“I can't give away my treasures,” the king wailed.
“If they don't make you happy, what good are they?” she asked. “To find happiness, give something away.”
After several thwarted attempts to get a quilt, the king finally begins to give away his beloved possessions. He discovers that lightening his horde frees him to enjoy people. He gives away everything and finally is dressed in rags, running about the kingdom deliriously happy.
Then, a magical, beautiful quilt is slipped over his shoulders as he sleeps outside.
Fourth grade Hawthorne students Kaylee Mason and Alyson Hartrick enjoyed the play.
“I thought it was funny and the actors are very talented,” said Mason.
“I liked it when they hid under the umbrellas,” said Hartrick.
Mason particularly liked when the king tripped, fell down and started whining.
“I liked the whole thing,” she said. “The umbrellas were cool. Some of them were very big.”
The audience sat on the edge of its seats during the performance and laughed at the prat falls, connected with the young girl wanting to help poor people and volunteered for audience participation.
“The Tales of the Quilter” is the third year Kid Zone has hosted the WIU regional touring theatre company, sponsored by the Keokuk Episcopal Church Women.
Western Illinois University's regional touring theatre company travels to schools in the Tri-State Area to perform live theater with teaching lessons.
WIU graduate students Emily Cherry and Erin Roe, along with undergrad students Tristen Tapscott and Andy Trusley, brought a fast-paced tale of a young girl seeking to make a difference in her world and looking for fulfillment.
The “stage” was Hawthorne's gym; the “set” was several umbrellas - from large beach umbrellas to colorful rain umbrellas and smaller parasols. Some were on wheels to move around and were alternately trees or shelter; some umbrellas laid open on the floor, creating a screen for the actors to hide props until needed and change costumes between scenes.
A few wooden benches and cubed wooden boxes, brightly painted, stacked and moved around in various formations to create scenes, completed the set.
Mocked by her town elders for not believing their one, narrow vision of the world, the young girl sets off to find adventure and see other countries for herself.
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She begins to give away what she has until she has no more. Walking along cold, hungry and barefoot herself, she encounters another poor girl who gives her shoes.
She finds an apple tree and picks fruit to feed herself, then encounters others more desperate than herself and before she realizes, she has given away all the apples she carried without eating any.
A mother and son huddled cold in a doorway inspire her to gather what she can from nature and sew a quilt.
“Something magical happens,” the narrator tells the audience.
Butterflies and birds contribute to the quilt and it is finished overnight. The young girl slips the warm and beautiful quilt over the mother and son who never wake to see their benefactor.
The young girl continues to make quilts and gives them to those in need.
One day a king spies one of the magical, beautiful quilts and wants one. He has everything, but not a quilt. His treasures and possessions are not enough to satisfy him. He discovers he cannot buy one; the young girl only makes quilts to give away to poor people.
The play includes audience participation. Keokuk students were selected to follow the girl in her journey; other students came on stage later to present gifts to the king for his birthday. All of the audience (which included Kid Zone students from George Washington and Wells-Carey as well as Hawthorne) was invited to chorus back to the actors the question, “Who do I make my quilts for?” by answering, “Poor people.”
The king tries to obtain a quilt; he tries to harm the young quilter. She advises him to give away his possessions to find happiness.
“If you give away your treasures, I will sew one square in a quilt for each treasure you give away,” the quilter told the king.
“I can't give away my treasures,” the king wailed.
“If they don't make you happy, what good are they?” she asked. “To find happiness, give something away.”
After several thwarted attempts to get a quilt, the king finally begins to give away his beloved possessions. He discovers that lightening his horde frees him to enjoy people. He gives away everything and finally is dressed in rags, running about the kingdom deliriously happy.
Then, a magical, beautiful quilt is slipped over his shoulders as he sleeps outside.
Fourth grade Hawthorne students Kaylee Mason and Alyson Hartrick enjoyed the play.
“I thought it was funny and the actors are very talented,” said Mason.
“I liked it when they hid under the umbrellas,” said Hartrick.
Mason particularly liked when the king tripped, fell down and started whining.
“I liked the whole thing,” she said. “The umbrellas were cool. Some of them were very big.”
The audience sat on the edge of its seats during the performance and laughed at the prat falls, connected with the young girl wanting to help poor people and volunteered for audience participation.
“The Tales of the Quilter” is the third year Kid Zone has hosted the WIU regional touring theatre company, sponsored by the Keokuk Episcopal Church Women.
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