A young Chinese girl leaves her family and embarks on a series of fantastic adventures. It’s not Mulan, heroine of Chinese folklore and Disney princess, it’s Minli, the protagonist of Grace Lin’s Newbery Honor Book, "Where the Mountain Meets the Moon."
The story comes to the Tenney Theatre stage in a Honolulu Theatre for Youth production that opens Friday.
‘WHERE THE MOUNTAIN MEETS THE MOON’
Presented by Honolulu Theatre for Youth
>> Where: Tenney Theatre
>> When: 7:30 p.m. Friday; 4:30 p.m. April 11, 18 and 25 and May 9; 1:30 p.m. April 25
>> Cost: $10-$20
>> Info: 839-9885 or htyweb.org
>> Note: For ages 5 and older |
"Grace Lin is one of the prominent Chinese-American authors who is writing for children," HTY Artistic Director Eric Johnson said. Johnson discovered Lin’s work several years ago when she was a guest speaker at a University of Hawaii children’s literature conference. She gave him permission to adapt the story for performance in Hawaii.
"It’s a beautifully written book, and it’s a book that’s read a lot in schools, so we feel very lucky to be able adapt the story to the stage," Johnson continued.
The heroine, Minli, portrayed by Christina Uyeno, lives with her parents in a ramshackle hut in the Valley of Fruitless Mountain. Her father entertains her with stories of the Jade Dragon and the Old Man of the Moon, who knows the answers to all of life’s questions but answers a question only once every 99 years.
Minli wants to help her impoverished parents, and so she leaves home determined to find the Old Man of the Moon and learn the solution to their financial woes. On her journey she meets colorful characters and magical creatures, including a dragon that becomes her traveling companion.
"All of her questions end up being answered, but not in the way she imagined," Johnson said enigmatically.
HTY company actors Uyeno, Junior Tesoro, Alvin Chan, Maile Holck and Matthew Mazzella bring the characters to life with the help of an expanded tech crew.
"We brought in a video designer from New York — Adam Larsen — who does amazing work, bringing projections into the mix, and we’re bringing in a sound designer, Paul James, who did ‘All the Way’ on Broadway, to score the piece for us," Johnson said.
With HTY’s resident tech specialists — David Gerke (set and lighting design), Chesley Cannon (props and puppet design) and Lacy Rohlf (costume design) — collaborating, Johnson promises a "lush production" designed to reach a broad audience.
"Obviously it will resonate in the Chinese community, but not just in the Chinese community. It’s an epic adventure, and it’s also a story about the power that stories can have, and how relationships can bring a family together."
Johnson added that the play won’t disappoint kids who already know the story and love Lin’s book.
"Almost 100 percent of the language in the story is from the book itself. The book is 300 pages, so obviously we had to cut a lot of good parts out, but Grace gave us some good advice about that as well."
A free study guide with suggestions for story-related activities is available at htyweb.org.
