A timeless tale of self-discovery

An alien prince, a far-away planet, a self-centered rose, a silly fox and a pilot that crash lands in the desert are the ingredients for the next production at Morinville Community Cultural Centre.

The Little Prince is the story of a little boy who leaves the safety of his tiny planet to travel through the universe experiencing a variety of extraordinary encounters. He lands on planet Earth and meets a pilot who has crashed in the desert.

Monster Theatre has adapted Antoine de Saint-ExupĂ©ry’s classic while maintaining the French author’s symbols, vivid imagery and life lessons.

“It’s really exciting. It appeals to the mind of a child and it reminds adults to think like a child. It reminds us to stay engaged with the imagination. It reminds us that no matter how far away you are, we are all connected. It’s bizarre and beautiful at the same time,” said Tara Travis, who tackles various roles from a king to a pilot to a geographer.

Nancy Kenny wears the lone mantle of The Little Prince in this charming and timeless classic.

The 50-minute show with pared-down production values blends hand puppets, body puppets, costumes and projections.

“We do a bit of everything. One of our signatures is the ability to shape-shift and play multiple characters.”

In Monster Theatre’s adaptation, the Little Prince lives on a miniature planet no bigger than a house. Many seeds fly through space onto the planet and he is continually weeding.

One of the seeds grows and blooms into a rose bush. The prince and the rose develop an odd relationship. She is playful, but bossy and needy. He is lonely and decides to escape the confines of his world.

“He goes to find true friendship and discovers it was always there,” said Travis. “It’s about friendship and learning to accept each other’s perspective.”

Artistic director Ryan Gladstone founded Monster Theatre in 2000 with the express view of creating original works that would “delight, inspire, challenge and provoke.”

The young company was instrumental in creating national successes such as The History Trilogy, Hockey Night at the Puck & Pickle Pub and Houdini’s Last Escape.

The Little Prince, says Travis, was expanded from the company’s 15-minute mini-masters, a collection of short plays presented to audiences.

“Both Ryan and I love this book. We both get goose bumps reading it and we both are emotionally connected to it. It’s a story that shapes us as human beings.”

The expanded Little Prince is a brand new production and will be presented to 70 venues across Alberta and British Columbia.

“This is a play that builds levels of understanding and we like to do cerebral plays. But at the same time it’s colourful and silly. We like to keep everyone engaged at all times and this will be provoking for adults and delightful for children.”