Jason Mitchell '96 had hardly any convincing to do when he approached the board members of the Dramat Children's Theater with an idea for this year's Commencement show. It was easily agreed that an adaptation of the children's book "The Jester Has Lost His Jingle" by the late Yale alumnus David Saltzman '89 was a perfect choice.
"First of all, it's a wonderful story in and of itself," says Mr. Mitchell. "But there's also the touching 'story behind the story,'" he says, referring to the fact that Mr. Saltzman began the book while he was a Yale undergraduate and completed it less than a year after graduation as he was dying of Hodgkin's disease. His mother, Barbara Saltzman, lovingly kept a promise she made to her son to publish his book. With the support of her family and at great financial risk, she established her own publishing venture, The Jester Company, to ensure that the book was published in a way that was true to Mr. Saltzman's vision. This past fall -- nearly five years after Mr. Saltzman's death -- "The Jester Has Lost His Jingle" was released, and it quickly became a bestseller.
In addition to its appeal for these reasons, "The Jester Has Lost His Jingle" is "easily adapted into children's theater," says Mr. Mitchell of the book, which Mr. Saltzman also illustrated. It is a tale about a jester who is banished from a kingdom for no longer making its inhabitants laugh, so he sets off on a quest in search of laughter with his friend Pharley, a talking wooden stick. He rediscovers laughter especially within himself during a visit with a sick little girl in the hospital.
"Laughter is always an important part of children's theater and in 'The Jester' there's a scene where laughter just grows and grows. We can have a lot of fun with that part by producing loud, body humor and really making a spectacle of it," says Mr. Mitchell, who had adapted Saltzman's book for theater and will direct the show.
Mr. Mitchell incorporates nearly all of the text by the story's author. "I wanted to use David's words as originally printed but because the story is relatively short, I have also expanded a little on it. Pharley, for example, has a little more of a role in my version for the theater," says the Yale senior.
Other plans for the show include projecting Saltzman's original artwork for "The Jester Has Lost His Jingle" on a large screen to serve as a backdrop for the dramatic production. "The illustrations, which are all in primary colors, are just amazing, and it's hard to separate them from the story," says Mr. Mitchell, who was introduced to Saltzman's book by fellow Dramat Children's Theater member Alpesh Patel '98. "Our plan is to make them a big part of the show."
Other members of the Dramat Children's Theater who are involved in the production are Gregory Newmark '96, producer; Rebecca Slitt '97, who will serve as music director and whose original composition will be incorporated in the show; and cast members Ilizabeth Smith '97, Ericka Fricke '98, Jared Adams '99, Gabriella Serruya '98, Roderick Mobley '99 and Hope Miller '99.
"We have a good cast, but unlike other theater, in children's theater it's not really the cast that makes a show but the audience. I think our audience can really enjoy 'The Jester Has Lost His Jingle,'" says Mr. Mitchell.
Performances of the Commencement show will be Friday- Sunday, May 24-26, at the Dramat Children's Theater space at 248 Park St. Show times are 7 and 9 p.m. on Friday; 1, 3 and 7 p.m. on Saturday; and 1 and 3 p.m. on Sunday. Admission is $3 for adults and $2 for children and students. The 1 p.m. performance on Saturday is free. All performances are open to the public.