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Hometowns: Lawrence, Manhattan, Tecumseh, Topeka, Kansas City, Mo., Santiago, Chile, and Tokyo, Japan.
LAWRENCE -- The University of Kansas Theatre for Young People will present an adaptation of Rudyard Kipling's popular "Jungle Book" stories when it stages Edward Mast's "Jungalbook" in February. Performances for children in first, second and third grade in Lawrence and Douglas County schools are Feb. 3, 4, 5, 10 and 11. The public performance is at 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 9, in the Crafton-Preyer Theatre of Murphy Hall.
Kipling wrote "The Jungle Book" in 1894 and "The Second Jungle Book" in 1895 in England, although he lived much of his youth in India, the setting for his stories. Mast, who loved Kipling's tales of loyalty, adventure, and betrayal, adapted the stories into play form in 1982 and won the 1991 Distinguished Play Award from the American Alliance for Theatre and Education.
The KU-TYP production is directed by Dennis Christilles, associate professor of theatre and film, who also designed the sets, costumes and masks used in the play. Lighting designer is Jennifer Luck, Lawrence graduate student. Choreographer for the production is Hannah Ballou, Topeka senior.
"Jungalbook" tells the story of Mowgli, a boy raised in the jungle by animals after his parents are killed by Sherakhan, a tiger. Although Mowgli knows he is different from the animals, he thinks he's a wolf and has no fear in the jungle, not knowing that Akela, the leader of the wolf pack, has been protecting him from the evil Sherakhan all these years. When Akela is killed by the tiger, Mowgli is forced to decide whether to kill Sherakhan, which is against the "law of the jungle," or leave the jungle forever to join the man village.
General admission tickets for "Jungalbook" are on sale through the KU ticket offices: University Theatre, (785) 864-3982; Lied Center, (785) 864-ARTS; SUA, (785) 864-7469; and online at www.kutheatre.com. Tickets are $6 for the public, $3 for all students and $5 for senior citizens.
Members of the cast for the production (listed by name, year in school, parents' names and role) include:
DOUGLAS COUNTY
From Lawrence
Summer Eglinski, sophomore, daughter of Ed and Pam Eglinski; Baloo.
Julia Elise Hardin, junior, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Richard Hardin; Bagheera.
RILEY COUNTY
From Manhattan
Theresa Buchheister, junior, daughter of Jim and Carol Buchheister; Grey.
SHAWNEE COUNTY
From Tecumseh
Wendy Lynn Casebier, senior, daughter of Terry and Denise Casebier; Sherakhan.
From Topeka
Elisabeth Ahrens, sophomore, daughter of Martin R. Ahrens and Marsha Anderson; Akela.
MISSOURI
From Kansas City
Erin Evangeline Burns, daughter of Thomas and Victoria Burns; Grab.
CHILE
From Santiago
Alvaro Berg, senior, son of Bernardo Soto and Monica Berg; Puppet Master.
JAPAN
From Tokyo
Erika Danielle Crane, junior, daughter of Gene and Hideko Crane; Mowgli.
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