Theatreworks will celebrate magic during the holiday season with Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s beloved story The Little Prince. And the theatre company is infusing the poignant story of friendship with large-scale puppetry. The play opens at the Ent Center for the Arts Nov. 24 and runs through Dec. 17.
Loved by generations, The Little Prince follows an aviator who crash-lands in the Sahara Desert and then meets a little prince from a distant world. The pair adventure together through distant planets, meet a unique cast of characters and learn what it is to love. The story was inspired by Saint-Exupéry’s own life experience of crash-landing his plane in the Sahara in 1935 while attempting to break the break the speed record for a Paris to Saigon flight.
“I first read Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s novella as a young person with my family,” said Theatreworks Artistic Director Caitlin Lowans in a press release. “Only later in life, did I understand the delicate lessons it offers about friendship, self-reliance and care. The depth is no surprise, given the experiences of the author, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, as a pilot during World War II. Fans of the books who love its poignant watercolor illustrations will delight in how we’ve brought them to life through puppetry, costumes and shadow play. This production uplifts the power of the human imagination, agreeing with the Little Prince himself that ‘the most beautiful things in life are not seen, but must be felt with the heart.’”
Theatreworks’ production features an entirely Colorado Springs based cast: Prentiss Benjamin (The Half-Life of Marie Curie, Wild Honey), Colton Pratt (Taming of the Shrew, Around the World in 80 Days), Kaley Corinaldi (Little Women, Lumberjacks in Love) and Sean Sharif (Measure for Measure, Free-for-All: Comedy of Errors) along with puppeteer Ellie Myers (Winter Wonders). Long-time Theatreworks collaborator Katy Williams Design lends her puppetry expertise to the production, bringing characters like the Rose, the Fox and a universe of kooky men to the stage in whimsical and inventive style. Lowans directs the production.
Audiences can enjoy associated events around the performances, including Director, Designer, and Scholar Chats about the show before Thursday performances. There will be Puppet Meet and Greets following Saturday matinees, and you can hear from the actors during talkbacks after performances on Sunday, Dec. 3 and Dec. 10. Morning Matinee performances will provide discounted rates for student groups.
For a detailed schedule of weekend performances and tickets, go to entcenterforthearts.org. And, enter to win two tickets to a performance here.
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