My Backyard

Triboro Youth Theatre will present the musical, “Just So” on Friday and Saturday, November 21 & 22 at 7 pm at Thacher School in Attleboro.  The show features a cast of 39 students in grades 8 - 12 along with Alex Grover, the Artist-in-Residence playing the character of The Eldest Magician. Grover is a senior at Wheaton Collge and is actively involved with music and theater on and off campus.  A music major, he is a member of and frequent soloist for the Wheaton College Chorale and Chamber Singers and studies voice under Joanne Mouradjian.  He is also President and Music Director of the all-male a cappella group on campus, the Gentlemen Callers.  Grover runs Norton Youth Theater for grades 4-8 of the Norton community. This past summer Alex starred as Billy Crocker in the Norton Singers’ production of “Anything Goes”.  Other past roles include Friedrich in “The Sound of Music,” Ren McCormick in “Footloose,” Sky Masterson in “Guys and Dolls,” and Mike in “A Chorus Line.” In June of this year he performed in “1776″ with Triboro Musical Theater as Edward Rutledge and is thrilled to be a part of Triboro Youth Theater’s production of “Just So.”  After Wheaton, Alex hopes to go to graduate school for vocal performance.

Jake Humphrey, 16, Attleboro plays the Elephant’s Child.  This production marks Jake’s 40th show with Triboro Youth Theatre.  He is a sophomore at Bishop Feehan where he is a member of the Chorus and Film Club. Past roles have included JoJo in “Suessical,” Winthrop in “The Music Man,” and Stitch in “The Emperor’s New Clothes.”

Ciatlin Murray, 14, Attleboro will receive her 30 Show Award for playing a Wildebeest and PJ Levesque, 14 of Norton will receive his 20 Show Award.  He plays Pau Amma, the Crab as well as the Crocodile. Kimberly Kogut, 13, Attleboro will receive her 15 Show Award for her roles as a Wallabee and a Dancing Ingredient - Flour.  David Aranjo, 14, Norton plays the Cooking Stove and along with Erin Kayata, 14, North Attleboro, who plays a Wallabee and a Dancing Ingredient - Dates, will receive a 10 Show Award.

This two-act show is funny and insightful and suited for all ages. Tickets for the production may be purchased online by visiting www.triboroyouththeatre.org or at the door for $8 for students and senior citizens and $15 for adults.  For more information; email triboroyouththeatre@comcast.net or call 508-222-6624.

From: www.stilesanddrewe.co.uk/just_so/index.html

Based on the immortal short stories of Rudyard Kipling, “Just So” takes you on a fantastic journey along the banks of Africa’s great, grey-green, greasy Limpopo River to meet an amazing collection of strange and wonderful creatures.

Set at the beginning of time, the musical introduces the Eldest Magician who has created a world of beasts and birds and fish. Unfortunately all of the animals look the same, but rather than performing further magic and changing them, the Magician tells them to go out into the world and find their own characters. Therein lies the first theme of the show - a celebration of individuality and diversity. Everything was just so, until Pau Amma the Crab began playing with the ocean, causing a flood that threatened the other animals.

To stop the crab, the Elephant’s Child goes on a quest to the Limpopo River, and discovers many lessons including how the leopard got his spots, how the rhinoceros got his skin and how curiosity and a hungry crocodile can turn an elephant’s small nose into a very large trunk.

Set to a eclectic, upbeat score, Kipling’s “Just So Stories” are woven with wit and imagination into a song-filled journey through the jungle. And you will be inspired by its underlying message - That one determined individual can make a real difference in this world.

“Just So” draws on the creative imagination of Rudyard Kipling, who used to make up stories to tell to his young daughter on their long sea voyages from Southampton, England, to South Africa. These stories often involved some of the animals that they were familiar with from their time spent in both Africa and India. As is so common with young children, repetition is a favourite part of the story-telling process - and Kipling’s daughter was no exception. The trouble was that sometimes Kipling would forget a certain detail in the retelling of a story, but his little girl was quick to point out the error and say: “No, tell it just so, it has to be just so” - Hence the collection of 12 short stories were published as The Just So Stories.

“Just So” is about story telling, and that requires the listener to use his or her imagination.

In keeping with Kipling’s wit and creativity, we ask the audience to allow your imagination to take over when we create thesee animals and locations on stage.

We are not portraying the animals realistically but, as human types with animal-like traits and characteristics. Likewise, our scenic elements are created simply from everyday items which, with a little imagination, are transformed into something else.