Interview: Travis Kendrick of Mill Mountain Theatre's THE JUNGLE BOOK

The Jungle Book, a short play based on the classic stories by Rudyard Kipling, is Roanoke's very own Mill Mountain Theatre's summer outreach production, taking live theatre to unconventional settings, including parks and libraries. This production feature's MMT's 2017 Summer Apprentice Company, running now until July 1st.

Published in 1894, The Jungle Book is a collection of fables set in the Indian jungle using anthropomorphized animals to teach moral lessons. Widely considered a classic of children's literature, the stories have been adapted numerous times for both film and stage due to their evocative setting and imaginative characterizations. As part of MMT's continuing initiative connecting theatre and literacy, these free performances will include complimentary books for children.

I was lucky enough to sit down with Travis Kendrick, the director and adaptor of the well-known tale to hear about creating this new play and learn more about how Mill Mountain Theatre is spreading the gift of theatre across Roanoke, for free.

Christopher Castanho: Why don't you tell us a little bit about yourself; where you're from, education background, and your role at Mill Mountain Theatre.

Travis Kendrick: I actually grew up in Hopewell, Virginia, so coming to Mill Mountain Theatre is, in a way, a homecoming of sorts. The first role I ever played was Peter in 'Peter Rabbit' and grew up in the theatre - and a lot of the productions I was involved in were theatre for youth productions. I received my BFA in Musical Theatre from Point Park University in Pittsburgh. And while in undergrad, I also found my love of directing. After Point Park, I was based out of New York City for about five years, and was lucky enough to get to travel around the country to perform in different shows. I then moved to the west coast to pursue my MFA in Directing from the University of California - Irvine. I completed my studies there just over a year ago. After directing "The Little Dog Laughed" in northern California last summer at Summer Repertory Theatre, I moved to Virginia for a full-time position as Education Associate with Mill Mountain Theatre and have been here since August.

CC: What's it been like coming into an already respected education program at Mill Mountain?

TK: It's been incredible. Mill Mountain Theatre has a vibrant, growing Education Program. One main component of our Education Program is our Conservatory, offering on-site classes in acting, music theatre, voice, dance, technical theatre, and more. We have a fall and spring semester, as well as camps during the summer. MMT produces five productions geared towards children and families annually, including two studio shows in our black box space, and a summer MainStage musical in which conservatory students participate. Another big component of our education programming is outreach. We teach offsite in programs with the West End Center and the YMCA Afterschool, as well as bring in guest artists to teach free master classes each month. Perhaps the most substantial element of our outreach program is our free summer touring production that travels around the Roanoke Valley area to non-traditional theatre spaces like parks and libraries. This year's summer tour is a new adaptation of 'The Jungle Book,' based on Rudyard Kipling's 'Jungle Books.' Reading and literacy is an important part of the MMT Education department's mission, and we aim to connect theatre and literacy by producing stories based on literature. One of my favorite things that we do (and one that I find really exciting and important) is offer free books for all of our Education productions. So, families who come to see a free performance of 'The Jungle Book' will also be able to take home a free copy of the book. What better way to practice reading and literacy skills than to see a story acted out in front of you and then be able to go home and read the book.

Director Travis Kendrick with actress Lizzy Hinton
Josh Walker Photography

CC: Why adapt "The Jungle Book" for young audiences? And what do you love about this story that makes it special to share with children around Roanoke?

TK: I love 'The Jungle Book.' I grew up watching the animated version, and recently watched the live-action film, which I loved and found particularly moving. These stories about Mowgli and his animal friends have stood the test of time. There are many ways in which we can all relate to this 'coming-of-age' story about growing up, told through the eyes of Mowgli. He struggles with acceptance and finding his place in the community, and eventually must move on to the next stage in his life by leaving the jungle and going to the human village. I am in a unique position as both the adaptor and director, and the idea present in the story that I find most relevant today is the importance of community. The current socio-political climate is rife with difficulties - polarizing viewpoints, and a lack of understanding and empathy. The animals in Mowgli's jungle world are innately quite diverse - as are the people in our human world. But rather than emphasizing the things that make us different, 'The Jungle Book' teaches us that more important are the ways in which we are the same and can come together.

Actors Brian Wittenberg, Lizzy Hinton, Christopher Castanho, Rosvic Siason, and Claire Hilton.

CC: Who did you draw directorial inspiration when working on this piece?

TK: I suppose my directorial inspiration is two-fold. I am drawn to the imaginative, playful, story-theatre of works like Roger Rees and Alex Timbers' 'Peter And The Starcatcher.' This style of theatre really speaks to me, and I think it is an incredibly powerful way to tell stories to young people. Actors manipulating a piece of blue fabric to represent water, for example, leaves a lot to the imagination and can be a creative way to engage the audience. Other aspects of this work that I have incorporated in 'The Jungle Book' include the stepping in and out of character and breaking the fourth wall to really narrate directly to the audience. The second big component is physical theatre and contact improvisation. My training at UCI included in-depth work in the Loui Movement Technique. While at UCI, I studied under Annie Loui in class, trained in contact improvisation, and served under her as assistant director/choreographer on several physical theatre productions. The Loui Movement Technique combines contact improvisation, elements of weight sharing, kinesthetic response work, and mime. In one scene, six actors come together to physically create the character of Hathi The Elephant, who calls for the Water Truce.

Actors Josh Walker, Alex Vinh, and Brian Wittenberg

CC: What do you love about working on the show with the apprentice company/creative team?

TK: This summer's Apprentice Company is truly incredible - they have really raised the bar and are such high caliber artist-humans. These college students and recent college graduates are from all over the country - each bringing their unique perspectives, ideas, and talents to the table. Beyond their incredible talents as performers, these budding professionals dig in deep, ask specific questions, and are gifted collaborators. They care about the big picture of why we do this summer tour - to reach beyond the theatre's walls and touch children and families who might not otherwise be able to experience the magic of live theatre. The rehearsal process for "The Jungle Book" was very similar to the process of working on a new play, with the difference being that we did it all in less than two weeks from first read through to opening day. So in a sense, it was a mashup of new play process and summer stock, if that makes sense.

CC: What does the story of "The Jungle Book" mean to you?

TK: What a question. The line from our play that comes to mind is, "The strength of the pack is the wolf, and the strength of the wolf is the pack." This sentiment, first imparted to Mowgli by Mother Wolf and then reinforced by the whole jungle community, becomes a mantra for Mowgli. We - as a community - are stronger because of what each individual member brings to the table, and we - as individuals - are stronger because of the support from the community collective. Cordelia, my colleague's three-year-old daughter, came with her family to see the show on opening. Afterward, another colleague, turned to Cordelia to tickle her, but before he could reach her, she stood up in front of her family, threw her hands forward, and said, "The strength of the wolf is the pack!" 'The Jungle Book' is about family. It is about unconventional family and how 'family' isn't about being related by blood, but rather about the love and mutual respect shared.

---

The Jungle Book features Mill Mountain Apprentices: Christopher Castanho, Claire Hilton, Lizzy Hinton, Rosvic Siason, Alex Vinh, Josh Walker, and Brian Wittenberg. Stage Management by Heidi Rothra, Sound Design by Savannah Woodruff, Costume Design by Ramzi Jneid, and Set & Prop Design by Katie Ward.

Directed and Adapted by Travis Kendrick with Music Direction by Jillian Hannah.

CLICK HERE to see the schedule for Mill Mountain Theatre's "THE JUNGLE BOOK" Running now until July 1st

To post a comment, you must register and login.