Charlie Grimes - The Jungle Book / Performance Review

On May 13, 2016, The Jungle Book was performed by a cast of Henry Clay students during 2^nd and 3^rd hour in the theater. Directed by Kristian Junker and Keifer Shuler, the production was extremely energetic and engaging, doing justice to its source material. The individual performances, especially from cast members Raiffa Syamil and the actress who portrayed the evil Shere Khan, were very well-executed. Raiffa’s portrayal of Mowgli was a hit, relentlessly and naturally portraying the naïve, clumsy, and youthful nature of the character. Mowgli’s voice soared throughout the theater, as did her body as she was tossed and pushed around by her fellow characters throughout the play. (Unknown actress) also did a fantastic job portraying the bloodthirsty tiger Shere Khan, as she crouched and creept through the audience and back of the theater (at one point, this actress took my performance notes from my hands and wrote a friendly note). The movements, once again, seemed fitting and natural, and her performance demanded audience attention.

The set was also very well-done, with the stage pieces adding much depth and visual appeal to the production. Actors/actresses swung from ropes hanging from the ceiling, threw pieces of columns in a chase scene, and climbed to the top of trees – all of this added a level of excitement that could not have been achieved otherwise. The actors’ use of the audience rows and stairs also added an element of audience participation that kept my interest. It was nice to see the deliberate effort to make the experience captivating. At one point, a large number of cast-members came bursting out from the back of the stage, emerging with brightly colored flags and swirling around the main characters – I found this to be an effective and eye-catching choice.

Finally, there is much to be said about the music. While the music itself was thrilling to listen to and the musicians were clearly skilled, the music often overpowered the actors’/actresses’ singing and/or talking voices, sometimes to the point where they were completely inaudible. Regardless of whether this was a tech issue or logistical issue, the backing music did not comfortably accompany the cast members’ voices, and this often took me out of focus on the play. This was especially a shame because I found the music to be of such high quality, with intense drum solos, lighthearted flutes, and dramatic brass. In the grand scheme of things, however, this proved to be a minor issue, as The Jungle Book exceeded my expectations, and upped the standards of quality for school plays.