Award-winning book adapted for the stage for 2012 Festival of Faith and Writing

Beginning on Thursday, April 19, The Calvin Theatre Company will bring a new adaptation of Walter Wangerin's award-winning book, 'The Book of the Dun Cow,' to the stage.
See full story: http://www.calvin.edu/news/archive/the-book-of-the-dun-cow
Professor of Communication Arts and Sciences Stephanie Sandberg has adapted Wangerin's novel using puppets, masks and actors. Part fantasy, part mythology, and part animal allegory, the story explores the depths of life's joy and despair alongside the problem of evil.
"It's basically the story of The Fall," said Sandberg, who's directing the play. "It's aimed at middle-school minds, and (it explains) how evil came to be and got into that world."
'The Book of the Dun Cow' won a National Book Award in the Science Fiction category in 1980, and Sandberg read the book as a youngster and loved it. While casting around for a play that The Calvin Theatre Company could perform during Calvin's 2012 Festival of Faith and Writing (FFW), she thought of using Wangerin's animal tale. Wangerin, who has been a featured speaker at the festival many times, liked the idea. Sandberg asked the author to help her choose between the two adaptations of the story already in existence, but he suggested: "Why don't you do your own?"
Working with her student actors, Sandberg has adapted 'The Book of the Dun Cow' as a piece of devised theater-a production that evolves from collaboration.
Sandberg has also met regularly with Wangerin while adapting the play, and she said his input was vital to shaping the piece. 'The Book of the Dun Cow' is loosely based a story in Chaucer's 'Canterbury Tales,' and the roosters, basilisks, cockatrice and other creatures in the story are familiar characters in a medieval universe. (The book takes its name from an ancient Irish manuscript.)
Wangerin was insistent that the characters of the story not be anthropomorphized, Sandberg said: "He said to me very clearly: 'These are animals.'" To aid their transformation into animals, the 12 members of the theatre company are wearing masks made by master-mask-maker Bruce Marrs, and master-movement director Gulshirin Dubash is choreographing their movement. The actors were also coached on voice by theatre professor Michael Page.
Scenic designer David Leugs served on the creative team that forged the play's world. And the score-which uses clarinet, contra bass clarinet, guitar, cello and percussion (including lots of gong)-was written by music professor David Fuentes.
Sandberg believes that Wangerin's story is still relevant, even three decades after its publication-as is the play she helped to create: "I think it was important to do this because the book itself was influential among a whole generation of Christians in thinking about good and evil ...," she said. "It explores the nature of needing to be a hero. We are asked to go on journeys where we don't necessarily know the outcome. We don't know the meaning of our lives until it is upon us. The most unlikely character becomes the savior."
The opening performance at 1:45 p.m. on April 19, 2012, in Calvin's Lab Theater, coincides with opening day of the 2012 Festival of Faith and Writing. Additional performances will be held on April 19-21 and 25-28.
For more information, contact Joy-Elizabeth Lawrence at jfl4@calvin.edu.
For ticket info, contact the Calvin Box Office at 616-526-6282.
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Matt Kucinski
Media Relations Manager
Calvin College
msk23@calvin.edu
616.526.8935 (office)
616.307.7429 (cell)
Received on Tue Apr 17 12:10:36 2012