Autumn is here and as the leaves turn colour and fall off the trees, it is a sign that summer is over, but thankfully the fall also means that arts groups across Winnipeg are starting their 2024-25 seasons.
One of the gems on the Winnipeg Arts scene, especially when it comes to youth and children’s entertainment, is The Manitoba Theater for Young People.
On Friday, October 18, MTYP will be kicking off their season with a true classic for children. They will be inviting children to harness their inner wild things and create a rumpus.
Inspired by Maurice Sendak’s seminal picture book Where the Wild Things Are, MTYP in collaboration with Presentation House Theatre will be giving Winnipeg audiences their own take on the book, using it as a road map for both actors and children; allowing kids to move around, make noise and interact with the actors on stage.
The adaptation of the book into a play was first done by the TAG Theatre Company in Scotland. The Vancouver based Presentation House Theatre adapted it further and has been touring with it for 23 years. MTYP has presented Where the Wild Thing Are before, but it continues to draw big audiences and be loved by children. Sarah Flynn is an Artistic Associate with MTYP as she states, “It’s just been done for so many kids over so many years...it’s just this everlasting story that kids really resonate with and find joy in.”
There are just two actors on stage, Linda Carson who plays the role of the mother and the narrator, and Victor Mariano who plays the role of Max, the main protagonist. The children in the audience in many ways are the third character. They can perform and interact with the actors and become part of the play.
As Flynn explains, “The play is mostly viewed from the ground. There are three mats...three little islands... on three sides of the stage. Those mats are for the kids. All the kids are on these stages, and they become a part of the forest that Max ventures into...and then they become the Wild Things and they get to join in on the Wild Rumpus...it just becomes this huge party with King Max.”
Both Linda Carson and Victor Mariano are skilled performers for children and are experts at keeping kids focused and engaged. “They know exactly what needs to be said to the kids and how to teach them exactly what their job is, and what their role is in this show. It's amazing how little they have to say and still the kids will listen to what they are telling them...they create this really beautiful relationship... the kids want to be a part of it, and it is such a clear environment that they create this relationship where they [the children] want to make the story happen,” says Flynn.
The other element that adds to the play's mood and drama is the use of light and sound. The lighting effects were created by Brad Trenaman and the sound design was done by Cathy Nosaty. Flynn describes the effects in the show, “There are really specific soundscapes created to put us into this world. And the lights do all sorts of different things...at one point there is a party and the lights are bumping.... they really help bring us all into this world that Max is creating in his imagination for where the Wild Things live.”
Imagination is key to Where the Wild Things are. Encouraging children to explore and use their imaginations in everyday life is something the play fosters.
And let’s face it, sometimes it is just good to be a Wild Thing and create a rumpus!
MTYP's and Presentation House Theatre's presentation of Where the Wild Things Are runs from October 18 to November 3rd. For more details click here.