Stepping into a small theater, blue and yellow lights wake up a dimly lit stage. In the center, a large toy rabbit rests on a box. Children in the audience sat close enough to the stage they could almost touch the toy while adults chatted. As the lights went up, UT Theater’s “The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane” came to life.
Edward Tulane follows a porcelain rabbit’s journey to learn to love as the characters he meets shape him. The children’s theater piece is an adaptation of a book of the same name by Kate DiCamillo. The creative team and actors approached the production knowing the story’s deep meaning.
“(Theater for young audiences) is just as much art as any other theater … you’ve got such an influential audience,” Blake Persyn, theatre education senior playing both Jack and Lucius, said.
Director Julia Kreutzer, a theatre master’s student, said she took a special interest in Edward’s character growth throughout the play.
“Watching (an) inanimate object learn to grow empathy for people who have other experiences than themselves is something that was at the heart of why the show felt poignant,” Kreutzer said.
A large part of the show’s experience came from immersive seating, where children could sit on couch cushions right next to performers. The production’s unique setup also provided a special experience for actors.
“We’re sitting a foot away from some of these kids, which was really special,” Persyn said. “It was really cool to track everyone’s attention, moving back and forth from … what’s going on on stage.”
Despite heavy circumstances, the play focuses on finding joy in everything that surrounds the hardships the character goes through. Murphy Crain, associate director for development at the College of Fine Arts, brought her children to the production and said the show allowed her two daughters to experience something different.
“Edward’s story is a story of resilience, so allowing for lows is really important,” Persyn said.
Taking place after the Great Depression, the play addressed child loss, poverty and abuse. The team navigated catering to both young and mature audiences while keeping the meaning intact.
“We’re trying to not traumatize the audience,” Kreutzer said. “Our lead dramaturg and associate director Georgia (Beckmann) … has a vast vocabulary for theatrical abstraction …, it was helpful to utilize her background to … focus on the way these moments feel as opposed to exact logistics.”
Ace Grossman, theatre and dance freshman and audience member, said she noticed others in the audience during the show.
“You could see kids with their parents, and people loving and holding onto each other,” Grossman said. “ It amplified the story.”
Kreutzer said she translated themes from the production into daily life, including the importance of growing as a community.
“It’s a story about this toy that has changed by … loving other people, and that’s been my experience,” Kreutzer said. “Me and Georgia worked in tandem on this piece … it’s been exciting to … get to learn about the story through her perspective.”
