![]() “To tell a story that would open their imagination to seeing magical, fantastical things happening in their world.” “The goal was to create a world of magic and mysticism within a world that our audience was already familiar with,” McLeod says. Henderson and McLeod agreed it was important to set the story in an urban environment. “I’m trying to imagine what it’s like to be a child and wonder why we’re in this mess.” “We wanted to speak honestly to the reality of some of the things that you deal with while quarantining - isolation, alienation, death - in a way that would be palatable for a younger audience,” says Henderson, who teaches performance studies at Chicago State University. When he wakes, he finds himself in another reality and confronted by the spirit of a young African American girl who died of the Spanish Flu in 1918. 18 on CCT’s YouTube channel, “Diamond’s Dream,” presented as a toy theater piece, tells the story of a young African American boy who falls asleep on the Red Line train while on the way to visit his grandmother who is dying of COVID-19. “Jerrell has his finger on the pulse of what is happening today and amazingly weaves together racism, pandemics and history into a relatable story,” she says.ĭebuting Jan. ![]() Henderson (writer-director) and Caitlin McLeod (puppets and set design), felt the most immediate and relevant. Out of this bunch, “Diamond’s Dream,” created by Jerrell L. “The results have been very different and very imaginative.” “We basically let the artists come up with whatever ideas they wanted to pitch,” Russell says. Out of this idea grew the Springboard Project, an engaging initiative with a goal to commission new work that’s representative of children today, especially CCT’s young audience in Chicago. She notes these books are “wonderful,” but adds, “they are maybe not the most edgy.” Russell also felt it was a time to take some risks, to expand beyond the usual concept of theater for young audiences, which mostly revolves around adaptations of popular children’s books. Where: Stream from Chicago Children’s Theatreįirst there was a virtual puppet version of Leo Lionni’s mouse-centric children’s book “Frederick,” narrated by actor Michael Shannon (a brilliant choice going against type), followed by an adaptation of author Brian Selznick’s “Doll Face Has a Party,” directed by Selznick, and “My Magic Breath,” in which animated storybook illustrations were accompanied with music performed by Chicago Symphony Orchestra musicians.
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