Kara Blogs: My Interview with Piggie aka Anna Smith

Actor Anna Smith and BACT Blogger Kara

BACT Blogger Kara had the chance to interview Anna Smith, who plays a Squirelle in Elephant & Piggie's WE ARE IN A PLAY! She is also the understudy for Piggie, and Kara was able to see Ms. Smith perform this title character.

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The play Elephant and Piggie's: We Are in a Play! is based on the books written by Mo Willems. The character of Elephant worries frequently and has a lot of emotion, but Piggie is more carefree and is good at calming Elephant down. Elephant and Piggie like to play together with their toys, share ice cream and play with their friends the Squirelles. After I saw the play I interviewed Ms. Anna Smith who plays Piggie and a Squirelle.

Ms. Anna Smith is the understudy of Ally Johnsen and when Ally Johnsen is there Ms. Anna Smith plays a Squirelle. Ms. Anna Smith did her first play when she was ten. When she told me she taught an after school drama program I wanted to learn how to write a play too. Her favorite parts about playing Piggie are spending lots of time with her friend Derek, who plays Gerald, the worrisome elephant and having exciting, exquisite interaction with the audience. She made the audience say “banana,” do the wiggle waggle and clap their hands. Her favorite part about being a Squirrelle is getting more time to rest and watching Ally Johnsen play Piggie. Also, she likes adding character to make her Squirelle to stand out because unlike Piggie you don’t know much about the Squirelles. The hardest part about being an understudy was trying to learn both parts at the same time. Anna Smith is making her fifth debut with BACT. She was also in Pinkalicious, A Year with Frog and Toad, Lyle the Crocodile and The Day the Crayons Quit. She likes all of the parts she has played equally but playing Piggie is exciting for her because the audience likes to see the character in the book come alive. For fun she likes to play electric guitar, ukulele and an instrument that’s like a dulcimer. Anna Smith’s advice for future actors is to have as much fun as you can no matter what part you get.

Anna Smith (center) as a Squirelle, along with Debra Harvey (left) and Aly Casas (right)

My favorite part of the play was when Gerald was going to share his ice cream with Piggie but it melted. Then Piggie shared her ice cream with Gerald. They sing a song about Gerald being the ice cream hero and he is really sad when he realizes the ice cream is melted, but Piggie ends up being the ice cream hero. Another one of my favorite parts is when the audience repeats saying “banana”, doing the wiggle waggle and clapping their hands at the same time. I was in the group that said “banana.” The moral of the story is friends always stick together.

The World Premiere of Rickshaw Girl

Emily Alvarado as Naima, painting a traditional alpana.
Photo credit: Joshua Posamentier

Bay Area author Mitali Perkins’ award-winning children’s book, Rickshaw Girl, tells the heartwarming story of Naima, an artistic ten-year-old in an impoverished Bangladeshi village who yearns to help her hard-working father, a rickshaw driver, earn more money for the family. 

Perkins grew up speaking Bangla and hearing her parents’ stories about their life in the part of the world we know today as Bangladesh.  Later, she spent three years in Bangladesh, meeting the people, learning what they hold dear, and observing the impact of changes, like the advent of microcredit, on local customs and culture.

“When I read Mitali’s beautiful book, I knew immediately that I wanted to bring Naima’s daring adventure to the stage for children and their families to see,” said BACT Executive Director Nina Meehan. “Naima’s story opens a window on a different culture for our young audiences, which is so important for their experience, yet it has universal appeal in its depiction of courage, duty and caring.”

BACT commissioned critically acclaimed playwright Aditi Kapil to adapt Perkins’ novel, and the world premiere of Rickshaw Girl was born!  Of Indian and Bulgarian descent, Kapil was raised in Sweden and resides in Minneapolis, MN.  In addition to her work for BACT, she is currently working on commissions with Yale Repertory Theatre, La Jolla Playhouse, South Coast Repertory Theatre, and Oregon Shakespeare Festival.

Directed by Vidhu Singh, with live music by vocalist Sonali Bhattacharya, percussionist Amit Sharma, and others, Rickshaw Girl whirls with color and song, as it welcomes families into the world of Bangladesh.

Perkins has worked with Singh and Kapil to help them develop the show, contributing to the authenticity of the production by contacting a friend, an educator in Bangladesh, to learn what songs daughters of rickshaw pullers sing these days and what games they play. These songs—everything from a lullaby to a patriotic song—are sung in Bangla. Perkins also brought her mother to rehearsal to teach the actors how to paint alpanas, the traditional designs that figure prominently in the story!

Mitali Perkins’ mother, Madhusree Bose with cast members, after teaching them how to paint alpanas

Describing the rehearsal process, Perkins said, “It’s magical! When I watch these fabulous actors and see the story in the flesh on the stage, I find myself being curious for Naima and wondering what’s going to happen to her, and I have to remind myself that I know what happens to her—I wrote the book!” 

Director Singh of San Francisco has devoted her career to nurturing South Asian theatre and bringing work from around the globe to the stage.  Born and raised in India, she holds a master’s degree in Dramatic Art from the University of California at San­­­­­­ta Barbara and a doctorate in Asian Theatre from the University ­­­of Hawaii at Manoa, specializing in contemporary Indian theater.

“This play is so up my alley,” Singh said.”I’m so grateful it came to me. When I heard about it, I got a copy of the book—it’s one of the best children’s books I’ve ever read.  It is a sweet, empowering story that is important for girls all over the world. The story is a window to another culture but it’s also a mirror—Naima learns that, with a little ingenuity and a lot of courage and grit, she can recover from a terrible mistake and make things right for herself and her family. Kids can see that they have so much in common with her.”

Artists at Rickshaw Girl workshop, l. to r., actors Radhika Rao and Salim Razawi, Director Vidhu Singh, Author Mitali Perkins, Playwright Aditi Kapil

The play, Singh explained, is “an ensemble piece” that blends theatre, dance and Bangla songs.  Five actors play the primary characters as well as secondary roles. The ensemble also functions as a chorus, becoming school children learning the Bangla alphabet, villagers celebrating International Mother Language Day, vendors selling wares, farmers toiling in the rice fields, town dwellers—a vibrant microcosm of life in Bangladesh.  

“This is very important work,” Singh said, explaining that Bangladeshi culture has rarely been reflected in American theatre or even in South Asian theatre.  “What makes the story remarkably powerful is its universality and its ability to inspire children as well as adults across cultures. I’m from India, not from Bangladesh, and I’m very particular about reflecting Bangladeshi culture and creating the world of Bangladesh. As a director of Indian descent, I take that responsibility very seriously.”

Rickshaw Girl is recommended for audiences aged 6 and up.

NOTE: Families can meet Mitali Perkins in person at Rickshaw Girl performances on Saturday, April 16, in San Francisco, and on Sunday, May 22, in Berkeley!

Purchase your tickets at: www.bactheatre.org

Benjamin Hanna: Controlling Chaos

By Vivian Auslander
 

Director Benjamin Hanna

He directed BACT’s world premieres of Ivy + Bean, the Musical, which involved occasional worms, and Ladybug Girl and Bumblebee Boy, the Musical, which featured a wandering dog, Bingo. Now, Benjamin Hanna has taken on an entire quirky pet store with Bad Kitty On Stage! Let’s hear from him what that’s like.

You are directing this production. What does a director do?

I play a variety of roles. One of them is to find a way for everyone on the creative team—actors, designers, producers, marketers—to see the core center of the play, to guide everyone’s vision, and to shape that collaborative effort. This play is adapted from a series of books, so I have the opportunity not only to look at the play but also at the source material. I’ve had the gift of working with the author and the playwright to do this. Another role is being a detective—sleuthing moments from the books that help us find the voice of Kitty and the world of her imagination. Since the books are like comic books, I’m watching to see if we’re giving the same effect that turning a page and seeing the word, “Pow!” or “Meow!” would have. If we do, then I know we’re resonating with the spirit of the books.

What do you mean by “the core center of the play?”

It’s as if you had a wonderful chocolate with something special in the middle that you can’t see but want to know what it’s like—how it tastes, smells, feels. Our job is to find that out.  It’s like making the map in a chocolate box so everyone can see what is in the middle of each character’s story.

So you are guiding both context and style?

Yes, we need to create the wacky, upside down world of Kitty, and we have to have that feeling of turning a page and discovering a new adventure. The play explores what being “bad” is like. Kitty isn’t being bad—she’s doing what kitties do naturally. And that’s what kids do—sometimes they get in trouble for exploring, and that can shut down imagination, understanding and connection. So we’re using Kitty’s world to look at exploring—and being different. Like a comic book, the play will be an explosion of “different” – all the animals will be exaggerated and unique.

What drew you to this work?

The opportunity to work with Min Kahng, the playwright. I’ve wanted to work with him ever since I saw his musical adaptation of Where the Mountain Meets the Moon—I loved that show. Also, when I read the books, I was intrigued by what a challenge they would present—and what great fun! When you step into our rehearsal room, it’s full of laughter, joy and celebration. I don’t feel like I’m working—I’m exploring with a group of highly gifted artists, who are smart, funny, and open. I’m honored to have been trusted with Min’s beautiful adaption and Nick’s amazing source material. And my team of artists has been delightful. They all understand working for children, and, in this short time, they have created their own Bad Kitty family.  

"It's like a roller coaster."

What has been the greatest challenge?

I thought that Puppy and Kitty not having words would be the challenge, but Min has done a phenomenal job of adapting the books so that “Meow” and “Woof” have hundreds of meanings. And Sango, who plays Kitty, is a genius. When Kitty meows, I know exactly what she is saying, because Sango knows every beat. The challenge has been controlling chaos. There is so much is going on, so fast, that I have to decide whether the train is going 100 mph, 96 mph, or 80 mph! I need to control the explosiveness so the audience can follow Kitty’s journey of learning. It’s like a roller coaster. You need moments when you dip down and have some calm to absorb what Kitty has learned and anticipate the next big event. The other challenge has been thinking through every aspect of Kitty’s life. A friend of mine overheard a 10-minute phone conversation I had with our dramaturg, Julie McCormick, about what kind of cat scratcher Kitty would want in her imagination, what would make it special to her.  My friend was surprised that we have dramaturgy in children’s theatre. But this is not just a play about cats. It’s about us—you and me—and how we get along. 

Are you looking forward to anything in particular on opening day?

Having an audience! The humor is very sophisticated. It will be fun to see which jokes appeal to the grown-ups in the audience and what will entertain children of different ages. One of the reasons I love working with BACT is that the company embraces the challenge of having everyone in the theatre enjoy the production and walk away with something to discuss.

Becca Blogs: Travel Day - We Made It!!!

Whew! It's been a LONG day of travel for our 31 advanced performers and chaperones and staff.  We arrived at the airport at 7 AM only to find out our flight was delayed by 3 hours.  The kids were amazingly patient and passed the time creatively.  We had lots of passengers ask us where we were going and giving positive feedback on such a well behaved group.  In fact, the woman at the pretzel stand was so impressed by our students' exemplary behavior that she gave one chaperone two free pretzels!

Making a number line for rehearsal tomorrow

Talking a walk through the terminal and riding the people mover

Hanging out with friends

Stretching with Ms. Khalia

The plane finally boarded and we were off!

Jazz Hands on a plane

There was a bit of turbulence, but once we found the "right" altitude we had a smooth ride to Atlanta where we easily navigated the airport to our bus.  We had asked the students not to sing in public in the airport and plane, and once we loaded up the bus they BURST into song!

Jazz hands on a bus

Once we arrived at the hotel we found our rooms and ate pizza and collapsed into bed.  Tomorrow we'll take a walk through the JTF spaces, meet our friends from Korea, rehearse, and have a pool party.   The staff and I are incredibly proud of this amazing group and the support and respect they show to each other and the world around them.  Thank you for sharing them with us this weekend!
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Rebecca Posamentier, BACT's Education Director, will be sharing thoughts and experiences from the Advanced Performers' trip to the Junior Theatre Festival this weekend in Atlanta.

Min Kahng Discusses Adapting Bad Kitty for the Stage

Playwright Min Kahng. Photo by Ben Krantz.

By Vivian Auslander

He created BACT’s award-winning musical version of Where the Mountain Meets the Moon and our hit Tales of Olympus: A Greek Myth Musical. Now, the multi-talented Min Kahng is writing the script and the musical score for our upcoming world premiere of Bad Kitty on Stage! Below, he discusses what inspired him about Nick Bruel ‘s popular Bad Kitty comic series and how he is adapting the series for young audiences.

Q:  How did Bad Kitty on Stage! come to be?

A:  Our Executive Director Nina Meehan proposed the project—her sons were reading the series and loving it.  When I read the books, the first thing that jumped out at me was their unique style—a combination of comic books and chapter books—and I thought it would be fun and interesting to put that style onstage.  But I needed to feel an emotional resonance as well, and two of the books grabbed me right away—Bad Kitty Meets the Baby, which explores how Kitty reacts to the new addition to her family, and Bad Kitty School Daze, which struck me because the amazingly patient teacher tells Kitty at the end of the day that she doesn’t think she’s a bad kitty at all. I can imagine children needing reinforcement like that and how it would help them grow.  In fact, all the animal characters in the series are childlike, with their unique quirks and eccentricities, and they are all working on growing up.  For me, the stories are about what it’s like to grow up and learn important lessons, and I’ve kept that in mind along with the humor and the quirkiness to help make the story line cohesive and authentic.

Q: In the series, Kitty doesn’t use words.  How do you make that work on stage?

Actor Sango Tajima as Bad Kitty. Photo by Melissa Nigro.

A: We debated that a lot at the beginning, wondering if we should have Kitty speak.  But we wanted to be faithful to the universe of the books.  So the challenge was what that meant—how do you translate the images in the books to a human actor?  Casting was the key, and we are extremely fortunate to have Sango Tajima, a gifted physical actor whose face can tell you what Kitty is feeling in a cartoon manner that is also genuine!  It was clear to us from the first reading of the play, just from Sango’s face and movements, that she could tell the story.  And, in the script, while I write “meow” or other animal sounds, I also include parenthetical statements of what I want the sounds to mean to guide the actors as to what their intention should be.

Q:  What were your goals for the music that underscores the action of the play?

A:  When I started thinking about the style of the music, I recalled the Saturday morning cartoons I’d watched as a child—like Looney Tunes, where the background music plays such a big role in setting the mood and creating the sound effects.  I wanted to incorporate that sensibility into the play. Then, we workshopped the play, and realized that the music had to be performed live to provide vibrant energy and to choreograph precisely with what’s happening on stage.  We were very lucky to find Phil Wong, who is both an actor and a pianist.  Phil will be our narrator, and he’ll play the score and improvise as needed. I’m very excited to be collaborating with him.  He’ll take what I compose and give us his feedback about how it’s working with the characters and the scenes.

Q:  The Bay Area Children’s Theatre has co-commissioned Bad Kitty On Stage! with the Oregon Children’s Theatre.  What does that mean?

A:  Both companies are producing this show for the first time—our run begins in January, theirs in February.  And it’s been a fascinating experience for me, because I have to make sure the script and the music work for both productions.  For example, the sets for our BACT shows have to be compact and moveable, since we perform in three different locations.  Oregon has a big traditional proscenium stage. When we send Kitty up into a “tree,” we are working with the idea of a tree.  Their production includes something much more like a real tree, so they’ll need enough transition music for Kitty to get into and out of the tree.  My challenge is to make the score and the script elastic enough to meet different needs.

Director Benjamin Hanna at our first read-thru with the Bad Kitty cast.

Q:  Now that the show is in rehearsal, what is your role?

A: I’ll be in the rehearsal room to help clear up any questions about the script or how the music fits into the action on stage. I can make changes or re-write as the needs arise. 

Q:  Nick Bruel, the author and illustrator of the Bad Kitty books, will be here for the opening?

A:  Yes. He reached out to us when he was visiting the Bay Area some months ago.  He was pleased and surprised by how faithful our adaptation is to the series, which made me feel good, because I wanted to capture the spirit of the books.  He will be here for our opening day performances, signing books and joining us for a reception with our donors.

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Bad Kitty On Stage opens at Freight & Salvage Coffeehouse in downtown Berkeley on January 23rd. The show runs from January 23-February 21 in Berkeley, February 27-28 in San Ramon, and March 5-26 in San Francisco. Click here to purchase tickets.

Special Rehearsal Pulls Out All the Stops

By Vivian Auslander

Our James team with composers Benj Pasek and Justin Paul.

At the beginning of James and the Giant Peach—BACT’s ebullient holiday musical—the mysterious narrator, Ladahlord, invites the audience to “Come with me to see something strange unfold. Hear the weirdest tale that was ever told.”

I got a peek into how our BACT artists were creating this tale at a rehearsal where the cast had the rare chance to work with Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, the Tony Award-nominated songwriters who wrote the music for the show. That’s like having a young Rodgers and Hammerstein walk in the door to give a master class!

Based on the story by Roald Dahl, James and the Giant Peach recounts how James, who is orphaned when his parents are eaten by an angry rhino, escapes from his mean aunts with a bevy of charming if wacky insects inside an enormous, enchanted peach.

The cast had met three times to prepare a few of the songs from the show before Benj and Justin flew in from New York. Everyone was nervous but very eager to hear the composers’ thoughts.

When I arrived at the studio, Benj and Justin were watching the antics of Michelle Navarrete and Caroline Schneider, who play Spiker and Sponge, James’s awful (but funny) aunts. Justin moved to the keyboard to accompany the song the aunts sing when they discover that James is about to become their “property.”  As his fingers flew and his foot pounded out the beat, the air began to pulse with a passionate energy that became the hallmark of the evening.

For each song the cast had prepared, Benj and Justin explained what ideas and emotions they wanted to convey with the music and the lyrics, and then focused in like laser beams as the actors sang.

“Use a hushed intensity,” Justin suggested to Sean Fenton, as Sean tackled Lahdahlord’s opening song.

For Derek Collard, who plays Green Grasshopper, Justin jumped up to demonstrate how to use the rhythms of the tune, “Floating Along,” to give his friends courage as the Giant Peach takes them out to sea.

Introducing the tender melody the insects sing to comfort James, Justin asked Betsy Picart (Ladybug) and Derek to treat the song as a quiet conversation. To help everyone understand the poignancy of having such a conversation with a little boy, Director Nina Meehan stood up, put her arm around 7-year-old Grady Walsh, and led him to the center of the floor, where they sat down together.  We all held our breath as Betsy and Derek sang to Grady.  (Grady’s mom is Dialect Coach Heather Robison.)

Benj Pasek (far left) and Justin Paul (far right) observe as Nina Meehan and 7-year-old Grady enjoy the song of Ladybug (Picart) and Grasshopper (Collard).

At the break, I asked Michelle how it felt to be working directly with the show’s creators. “It’s an amazing experience,” she said. “I feel so lucky. You can develop the layers in your character so much more with this coaching.”

Music Director Kevin Roland added, “Their music is phenomenal.  It pays homage to the great musical theatre teams that have come before them, yet it blends styles and rhythms—everything from Caribbean to American standards--in a way that is fresh and unique. Their versatility tells the story brilliantly and keeps you interested throughout the show.”

For three hours, the cast sent harmonies soaring, while Benj and Justin pulled out all the stops, pouring their hearts into helping BACT prepare their show. Then, suddenly, the musical fireworks were over. It was time for hugs all around, and good-byes.

Nina ushered the songwriters off to catch their flights home, then turned to the cast members, beaming.  “You rocked it!” she shouted.  “Those two guys brought such a level of energy to this room! Justin was stomping the floor so hard I was sure there’d be a hole!  Now what we have to do is trust their words, trust their rhythms, and bring that energy to the show!”

And, when you see the show, I think you’ll agree that they have!

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Vivian Auslander is a BACT Board Member.