Aislinn Langley Performance Review

The Jungle Book Performance Review

               Henry Clay’s triumphant production of The Jungle Book marked the beginning of a new era of HCHS theater. Running intermittently from April 29^th to May 16^th, the production that drew attention in the papers and online came five months in the making. From double-casted leads to innovative set design and crew work, The Jungle Book proved entertaining and sufficiently impressive for audiences of all ages.

Taking up the directorial torch on something of a whim, Kiefer Shuler and Kristian Junker began their co-directing run in the fall with the drama Twelve Angry Jurors, followed in January by The Frogs, whose cast was largely made up of actors who were simultaneously rehearsing Jungle Book. Feeling the need to prove their worth as directors, the two sought ways of stepping up the game throughout the process of putting the show together, always seeking improvements and innovation. This search led them to hang ropes from the rafters, construct a massive tree, and attach wheels to massive set pieces. Each of these bold choices contributed to the imagination of the show—a simple stage gains a multitude of new dimensions when actors can climb and swing before a fluid and malleable setting.

The fact that a double cast was necessary conveys the pool of talent the directors had to draw room. Instead of having to choose between Raiffa Syamil and Viviana Ortiz for the role of Mowgli, it was simple enough to simply double cast and roll right along. Only the roles of Mowgli, Baloo, Kaa, and King Louie were double cast, but even these changes created an entirely different dynamic with the rest of the cast. Green Cast was stocked with actors who had previously taken to the stage this year in the two previous shows and brought endless energy that created some artistic synergy and led to fantastic acting. Orange Cast brought together an especially talented group of musicians and excelled musically. Whether viewing Raiffa’s petulant Mowgli or Vivi’s utterly adorable Mowgli, the audience was gifted with genuine interpretations of the Kipling character.

As impressive as the acting, singing, and dancing is, the crew and tech work is what brings a show together, and The Jungle Book is no exception. Just as important as what’s seen on stage is the twenty-five-piece pit, the forty light cues being worked out in the booth, and the constant microphone work being done both in the booth and backstage. A set of ten mics is shared by a cast of thirty-something, necessitating a system of sharing, passing off, and switching in the dark. Actors also double as crew workers, moving set pieces and props when they aren’t on stage. A crew of four actors who play the vultures at the end of the show spend the rest of the show moving the large wheeled set pieces and lounging in the rafter catwalks above the stage to drop and haul up ropes throughout the show. This cast duality of acting and working backstage highlights every actor’s dedication to the show.

The high energy, complicated choreography, staged hits and use of audience space all add up to a performance that is engaging for all. The monkey’s massive swing dance number brings down the house every night while the percussionist’s badum-tss accompanying puns and jokes earns giggles. Younger audiences never fail to be amused by physical humor and enjoy the staged hits and action of the show. The Henry Clay production of The Jungle Book was well worth the five months its growth required and made a worthy final show for the first year of the artistic reign of Junker and Shuler, who have next set their sights on the works of Agatha Christie and Shakespeare, as well as another monumental Disney classic.