Tash Mahnokaren

Staff Writer

Roald Dahl once said “Nowadays you can go anywhere in the world in a few hours, and nothing is fabulous anymore”.

He was speaking of the power of imagination of course, or rather the loss of it in today’s advanced society.

Coming from the man responsible for childhood classics including “Matilda” and “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” Dahl was a firm believer in imagination.

In commemoration of imagination and the desire to follow our dreams, the Stephens Performing Arts Center will host a production of Dahl’s work “James and the Giant Peach.”

“To me, it is a story about empowerment, imagination and magic for James,” said Assistant Professor of Theatre Vanessa Ballam.

The production will reflect the fantastic elements found in the story by taking a nontraditional approach.

The performance will add its own twist to the David Woods adaptation of the novel.

“This is our interpretation of Roald Dahl’s novel,” said Ballam.

In this adaptation, Wood begins at the end of the novel. James and the insects then tell the story of how they ended up in New York City.

“The insects are telling the story, so the insects play all of the parts as well,” said Ballam. “So we have insect characters that are playing James’ parents and the centipede playing Mr. Trotter.”

The element of magic is at the heart of Ballam’s vision for the performance, and is something she wants to preserve.

“There are so many magical elements, like creating a rhinoceros on stage and an underwater sequence,” said Ballam. “And the peach itself. How do you have a peach that grows and one that the insects can be inside and on top of, a peach that floats in the water and flies in the sky?”

Elements of puppeteering, lighting, costuming and sound sequences accompanying each scene will help bring the story to life.

“Theatre exists so that people can be moved or changed or asked questions,” said Ballam. “I am hoping that it will have a similar effect on audiences of all ages.”

The production could not have been realized without the efforts of students.

“My costume designer is a student and my lighting designers are also students, as well as my assistant directors,” said Ballam.

For the students of theatre, putting on productions like these requires a great deal of time and dedication.

For most of them, the work they engage in now in the theatre setting is essentially the career path they wish to pursue.

“Our theatre students work so hard,” said Ballam. “They’ve got their regular coursework, then rehearsals and then they go home and do homework and most of them have jobs in addition to this.”

James and the Giant Peach will be performed March 13, 14 and 15 at 7:30 p.m. in the Bistline theater of the Stephens Performing Arts Center.

“I couldn’t be more thrilled about the show, I really hope the university population as well as the community will come and support it because it will be unlike anything they have ever seen before,” said Ballam.

For information regarding tickets, or anything else related to the production call (208) 282-3595 or visit www.isu.edu/tickets.