Theatre students at Butler CC are thrilled and excitedly preparing for their upcoming productions after countless hours of rehearsing lines and scenes once again. The upcoming play “The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane” will have its opening debut on Thursday, Sept. 26 at 7 p.m.
The production will be an adaption from a book written by Kate DiCamillo. Tulane, who the book and production will focus on, is the central character and is a porcelain rabbit. Throughout the production, the rabbit encounters various themes of love and loss.
Sophomore Jacob Antle said this play is all about learning and growing into a better version of one's self, which is a particularly interesting concept for him. At this time of this interview, Antle wasn’t too familiar with the story behind “The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane,” but the most he had read is a synopsis. He has begun to read the show and tried to get a general feel for it. He plans to bring his character alive on stage when he acts.
“I always like to add a little bit of myself in all of my characters, so no matter what role I'm cast in I can find something to relate to,” Antle said.
He does have future plans in theatre; Antle’s long-term goals as a theatre student is to become a professional actor and the more shows he does, the better actor he becomes. Any role he gets is going to teach Antle something.
“The show after "Edward Tulane" is Jean Paul Satre's "No Exit,"” Antle said. “It's one of my favorite plays, and I've been eyeing the role of Joseph Garcin for years. I started doing theatre in the eighth grade and continued all the way through high school and into college.”
Sophomore Rhye Porter is a student at Butler also involved in theatre and is excited to be performing in this play.
“I was very excited when I discovered that we would be performing “The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane” for our opening show of the year,” Porter said. “I am familiar with this story because I read the book as a child. The characters I'm most drawn to are Bryce and Edward Tulane.”
In the play, they watch the character of Edward undergo things that they experience in their own life such as love, loss and grief. Those experiences are what cause him to realize what it means to love and to be human. Bryce maintains a selfless, optimistic nature throughout the duration of his scenes. To Porter, Bryce is symbolic of perseverance and hope, even during times of hardship. The unique qualities of each character are what draws him towards them.
“It is my second year studying at Butler Community College,” Porter said. “I plan to audition for Butler's upcoming performances and also participate in the Underground Theatre Project. In the near future, I hope to continue my studies in theatre abroad, as my long-term goal is to become a working actor in the theatre industry.”
To acquire tickets to “The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane,” visit: https://www.butlercc.edu/info/200148/music/77/box-office
The production will continue to run on Friday, Sept. 27 at 7 p.m. and two showings on Saturday, Sept. 28 at 2 and 7 p.m.