The Blinn College District brings two classic stories to the Dr. W.W. O’Donnell Performing Arts Center stage this summer as part of its new Family Series.
Blinn will host readings of Jack London’s Call of the Wild at 6pm on Tuesday, July 10, and Sleeping Beauty at 10am on Thursday, Aug. 9. Tickets are $5 for children and $20 for adults, with a $5 adult ticket discount for season subscribers. Tickets are available for general admission purchase at www.blinn.edu/boxoffice and seating will begin 30 minutes prior to each performance.
Call of the Wild tells London’s classic tale live on stage. This multimedia adventure mixes classic storytelling with projected illustrations to tell the story of Buck, the magnificent cross-bred offspring of a St. Bernard and a Scottish Collie. Kidnapped from his lavish life on a California estate and sent to work as a sled dog during the great Klondike Gold Rush, Buck fights to survive and becomes the most famous dog in the history of the Northland.
The show uses a 180-degree projection screen that surrounds the performer and features a unique mix of classical illustrations from the book with new drawings and animations created by artist Michael Rae. The performance includes a live score from award-winning singer-songwriter Graham Weber.
“This show is as popular with adults as it is with children and truly brings this novel to life for audiences of all ages,” says Deborah Vavra, assistant dean of visual/performing arts and kinesiology at Blinn College. “We look forward to welcoming families and schools for a performance that truly provides an illustrated edition of this classic novel.”
Sleeping Beauty brings the classic fairy tale to life with a rhymed-verse storytelling spin. The performance includes live music such as Bach’s Goldberg Variation and image projections that create a magical multimedia world in which the beautiful (and funky) princess is awakened by true love’s kiss…or not. Pulsing with majestic language and high art, this production is scaled to perfection for young audiences and creates a spell of imaginative wonder that brings cheers to the theatre.
The New York Times has praised performer David Gonzalez for his performance, noting that “with speech, sound, mime, dance, and above all, inspired imagination, Mr. Gonzalez has the gift of creating magical worlds and drawing his audience into them. A palpable delight.”
Both performances are complemented by a reading challenge that encourages children to read during the summer. Entry forms will be distributed at local schools, The Book Nook, and online at www.blinn.edu/boxoffice. Children who read five books are entered in a drawing to win a Barnes & Noble book at each Family Series performance.
“During the summer it can be challenging to find activities for kids to do,” Vavra says. “We want to encourage them to read this summer, especially since the stories we are bringing to the O’Donnell Center as part of the Family Series are classic books for children.”
The Family Series is made possible through Wells Fargo Bank’s Rea Charitable Trust Grant and is sponsored by the Blinn Bookstore.
