In the Reeve Theater at Imagination Stage, the house lights dim until the room turns dark. And then, off-stage, a lion roars and a snake hisses. Blue lights glow, speakers play a steady rhythm of drums and soon, a simple black box theater is transformed into the chaotic world of the African jungle.
A Whitman junior in her wheelchair is pushed on stage by a fellow cast mate, flapping her arms to become a convincing vulture. Other actors dressed as bears and monkeys scamper around the theater while the music dies down. And with that, the Pegasus Company’s performance of “Jungalbook” begins.
The Pegasus Company, part of Imagination Stage’s Art Access program for more 20 years, is a teenage acting troupe that gives young people with developmental, language and/or cognitive disabilities a chance to experience theater in a safe and supportive environment.
“It’s one of the hallmarks of what we do at Imagination Stage,” director Kierstie Whitehead says. “It gives students of all abilities the chance to show their talents and how they are able to tell a story in their own way.”
The troupe is currently in the final stages in their rehearsals before the performance premieres Friday, Feb. 26. From Whitman, one sophomore and four juniors are participating.
“Jungalbook,” adapted by playwright Edward Mast from Rudyard Kipling’s “Jungle Books,” tells the story of a young boy named Mowgli after he is abandoned at birth and adopted by a family of wolves. The play follows him as he learns the laws of the jungle and how to stay brave in the face of danger.
To fit the needs of the students, the director took a different approach to the audition process and rehearsals, using more visual and movement exercises. Whitehead, knowing that all but one character (Mowgli) would be an animal, figured out ways for students to learn the art of acting by exploring the way each animal moves and speaks. By doing this, students create their own identity with their character.
“We really work with whatever strengths the students have, bringing them to the forefront and letting those be the highlights of the character,” Access director Diane Nutting says.
Due to the students’ various disabilities, changes were made to the script and how Whitehead blocked the show. Incorporating choreographer and co-director Melani Drummer’s South African heritage, the show is set in the African jungle instead of Kipling’s original setting of India, allowing Drummer to integrate African dance into the performance. The script, with approval from the publishing company, was trimmed to reduce the amount of memorization each student had to undertake.
The students’ special needs have also changed the way Whitehead is presenting the story. By exploring each actor’s individual skills throughout the rehearsal, she has added new dimensions to the characters.
“The young man who plays Ka, the snake, won that role because of his portrayal of using his body to create Ka,” Whitehead says of a student who has Down syndrome. “He really surprised us at how much he was able to move like Ka, and you can tell how much he really wanted to play that role.”
The Arts Access program at Imagination Stage began in 1987. The Pegasus Company, open to teenagers ages 13 to 18, is six months long, beginning with its auditions in September.
“Jungalbook” will be performed Feb. 26 and 27 at 7:30 pm, and Feb. 28 at 6:00 pm. Tickets are on sale for $10, and are available for purchase at www.imaginationstage.org.
