Review: THE JUNGLE BOOK at Gamut Theatre's Young Acting Company and Rasika School of Dance

The stories that make up Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book feature characters and themes that continue to fascinate audiences today. These stories were published in magazines from 1893-1894 before being collected into a book in 1894. Audiences will likely be familiar with many of the characters, such as Mowgli, Shere Khan, and Baloo, due to the many adaptations of these stories over the years. Gamut Theatre's Young Acting Company and Rasika School of Dance present an adaptation of The Jungle Book by Sean Adams, directed by Rachita Menon Nambiar and Melissa Nicholson to sold out audiences through April 2nd.

Every element of this production, from the greenery adorning the stage to the live drummers (Studio Solomon Drummers) to the incredible costumes and makeup, is carefully crafted to transport the audience to the jungle. The show is expertly staged, utilizing the various levels of the performance space to ensure that the actors can be seen and heard throughout the performance. This production of The Jungle Book is visually beautiful and engaging, and appeals to audiences of all ages.

The Jungle Book features a large cast of 46 young actors ranging in age from 5-18. The cast includes: Aadya Kiran, Abhinav Behura, Adam Bateman, Alyssa Miller, Ameya Rangaswamy, Anjali Mishra, Avery Cohle, Caroline Edwards, Chinmayee Ayyappan, Daniel Hutchins, Etienne Hoskote, Eurya Avilés, Georgia Bailey, Isabella Cutuli, Journy Brooks, Julia Jones, Katheryn Gaston, Kaylee Kramer, Keira Sammon, Kendall Kramer, Kennedy Commissiong, Kevin Sheedy, Lillian Weigand, Logan McDonnell, Macy Kiker, Mason Whitmyer, Medha Rajesh, Mia Graci, Nathan Garver, Nathan Preston, Nicholas Caton, Nitya Nandakesan, Noah Sanders, Nora Gazsi, Rachel Ludwick, Richa Shyam, Rishi Shyam, Rosie Campbell, Sam Pfeifer-Winborn, Sanjana Menon, Siddhi Sunil Naik, Sophia Commissiong, Tessa Greene, Trajan Tyree, Zemira Avilés, and Zoe Souders.

This group of young actors truly embody their characters. Their energy is palpable from beginning to end. It is incredible to see how the actors use their body language to evoke the sense that they really are elephants, monkeys, wolves, and so on. The four wolves that narrate the story, performed by Macy Kiker, Kendall Kramer, Etienne Hoskote, and Nathan Garver, demonstrate masterful storytelling techniques. While every actor in this production fully deserves a round of applause, the opening night audience enjoyed stand-out performances from Alyssa Miller as Raksha, Daniel Hutchins as Baloo, Kennedy Commissiong as Bagheera, Kaylee Kramer as Hathi, Adam Bateman as Grey Brother, and Chinmayee Ayyappan as Young Mowgli.

One of the most amazing aspects of this production was the dancing. Dance was woven into the story seamlessly. The dancers, including Sanjana Menon, Nitya Nandakesan, Medha Rajesh, Ameya Rangaswamy, Eurya Avilés, Chinmayee Ayyappan, Georgia Bailey, Logan McDonnell, Sophia Commissiong, Aadya Kiran, and Richa Shyam, were absolutely enchanting, performing with incredible grace and control.

While this production is sold out, the caliber of this performance is a testament to the work of Gamut Theatre and Rasika School of Dance. Readers should plan to get tickets early for their upcoming performances. For information on these programs, visit www.gamuttheatre.org and http://rasikadance.com/.

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