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This is a guest blog written by local playwright and CICF grant recipient Ben Asaykwee. Ben has worked on a contract basis with the Lilly Theater since 2012. You may remember him from his roles as The Mysterious Stranger in The Magic Snowman, Sharktoothe in Jingle ARRGH the Way, and The Dragon in Rapunzel: A Very Hairy Fairy Tale, and as the playwright and composer behind The Paper Bag Princess (where he also played the role of Captain Bob). In this post, Ben shares about The Children’s Museum’s role in his exciting plans in 2017!
A few months ago, I was given a true gift.
Yes, I was honored as one of Indy's 12 Theatre VIPs by the Central Indiana Community Fund. And yes, I was given an awesome little trophy to commemorate the event and a grant in recognition of my work here in Indianapolis. But neither of these things are the gift I'm referring to. I'm referring to something that, as a playwright and performer, I find much more valuable when all is said and done. In the process of receiving previously stated award, I was given the gift of inspiration.
You see, it wasn't the award itself (which is awesome) or the money (which is also really awesome), but it was the idea that my work held importance and that my contributions to the cultural fabric of Indianapolis were valued and appreciated. It has honored me and inspired me beyond what grants or trophies have to offer. It is the reason I have dedicated my entire 2017 body of work to responding. It is why I have decided to present seven new plays in the span of seven months in 2017 that I'm hoping will promote conversation, discuss inspiration and ultimately give us all a place to meet in the middle and grow a little from looking down another's path.
It seems fitting that my first play out of the dugout this year would be an adaptation of a literary classic and that the primary audience will be kids. I love working for children and writing/adapting with them in mind. Creating a piece to inspire their minds to achieve and question, to take in and explore is one of my favorite things to do. I also love adaptations. This is my second adaptation at the Lilly Theater (Paper Bag Princess in 2015 was the former) and my sixth adaptation for stage. Breathing new life into classic works while reimagining them for the stage is a favorite of mine. I'm also INCREDIBLY fortunate to have been asked to direct the show as well, and the pure joy of crafting the show with the five extraordinarily talented performers who will be featured in it has been unparalleled in my experience thus far.
Doing shows at the Lilly Theater at the world’s largest children's museum has been something that I truly have never taken for granted. To be surrounded by such talent, not only in the theater but in the rest of the museum, is really pretty awesome. From the top grade designers and high calibre actors to the premier scientists and technicians, I am extremely grateful to be involved with an organization that truly makes people so unbelievably happy. The Lilly Theater, itself, is a jewel of the organization; producing beautifully designed shows without fail several times a year and hosting events and educational experiences. It is artistically sumptuous to do a show there and I am eminently thankful.
But, I would be lying by omission if I didn't mention my number one reason for loving my relationship with the Lilly Theater and museum is because of its impact on the audiences visiting. So many times while greeting patrons after a show I have been told "This is [so and so]'s first time to see a play" and "Our whole family came to the museum today just to see this show". It might be one of my main motivations to do theatre altogether. When a stranger stops me at Target to tell me that their child had never seen a live stage production before but now they've seen Paper Bag Princess four times, it reminds me that there are fewer gifts we can give to our audiences that are more precious than the love of storytelling on the stage.
Theatre at it's core is storytelling and the art of hearing another's journey continues to inspire me daily. I can only hope that The Jungle Book, and the six plays that follow throughout this year, will motivate, invigorate and/or inspire someone else. It's the least I can do and the most I can hope for.
See The Jungle Book in Lilly Theater now through April 15. See the online calendar for the full schedule.
