Jungalbook
by Zach Theatre

Sep. 07 - Nov. 10, 2019
Fridays-Sundays

Adventure awaits in a jungle where danger lurks in every tree and only the brave dare enter! This energetic and creative version of the classic tale ignites the imagination and propels the audience through a world ruled by the wild.  When his parents are killed by Sherakhan, the young boy Mowgli is raised by wolves, under the protection of his friends Bagheera and Baloo.  In this tale of loyalty and betrayal, Mowgli must find the courage to face this challenge and choose his fate under consequences of jungle law.

(costume renderings via Zach Theatre)retelling of Rudyard Kipling’s Mowgli stories, Jungalbook is adapted by Edward Mast and plays The Kleberg at ZACH, September 7–December 14, 2019, under the direction of Associate Artistic Director Nat Miller with original music by Allen Robertson. 

Miller explains ZACH’s approach to this Kipling classic, “Our adaptation of Jungalbook includes a mix of beautiful costume designs and mask work with live puppetry, as well as shadow puppetry. Mowgli will be double cast by two of our female pre-professional actresses, Chloe Van e Graaf and Blakeney Mahlstedt. Audiences may recognize them most recently from Matilda The Musical along with other ZACH favorites, Mary Poppins and A Christmas Carol. Having a female actress play Mowgli gives the character a new perspective as both a powerful fearless female protagonist as well as somebody who has empathy for nature. Jungalbook is a play about how humans and nature live in harmony, both with each other and the world that surrounds us and we can’t wait to share that experience with audiences.”

Jungalbook will also star additional pre-professional students STELLA FRYE-GINSBERG and ARAYA FEENEY as Grey/Kaa/Ensemble; BRUCE BOWEN and MERCY BOVIK as Grab/Elephant; SAMANTHA BEAM and PAIGE RILEY as Perchy/Chil/Hyena/Elephant; with Understudies WILKES GOODNER for Mowgli and SLOANE JOHNSON and ABIGAIL STORM for Grey/Grab/Perchy/Ensemble.

Rounding out the adult cast: AMBER QUICK as Sherakhan; LARA WRIGHT as Akela; FREDDY FRANKLIN as Bagheera; JOHN CHRISTOPHER as Baloo; with SUSANNAH CROWELL and OMAR LEWIS as Understudies.  

Directed by NAT MILLER, the production team also includes SCOTT GROH as Scenic and Properties Designer, JAMIE GARNER as Costume Designer, AUSTIN BROWN as Lighting Designer, ALLEN ROBERTSON as Sound Designer, GABRIELA DE LA ROSA as Company Manager, and DAVVI SOLOMON as Stage Manager.

Age Recommendation: Five and up 

Run time: 55 minutes with a 10-minute intermission

 

 

CAST

Blakeney Mahlstedt – Mowgli

Chloe Van De Graaf – Mowgli

Wilkes Goodner – Understudy for Mowgli

Stella Frye – Ginsberg – Grey/Kaa/Ensemble

Araya Feeney – Grey/Kaa/Ensemble

Bruce Bowen – Grab/Elephant

Mercy Bovik – Grab/Elephant

Samantha Beam – Perchy/Chil/Hyena/Elephant

Paige Riley – Perchy/Chil/Hyena/Elephant

Sloane Johnson – Understudy for Grey/Grab/Perchy/Ensemble

Abigail Storm – Understudy for Grey/Grab/Perchy/Ensemble

Amber Quick – Sherakhan

Lara Wright – Akela

Freddy Franklin – Bagheera 

John Christopher – Baloo

Susannah Crowell – Understudy for Female Roles

Omar Lewis – Understudy for Male Roles

 

PRODUCTION TEAM

Nat Miller – Director 

Scott Groh – Scenic and Properties Designer

Jamie Garner – Costume Designer

Melina Perez – Assistant Costume Designer 

Serret Jensen – Hair and Makeup Designer

Austin Brown – Lighting Designer

Allen Robertson – Sound Designer

Gabriela De La Rosa – Company Manager

Davvi Solomon – Stage Manager

Maria Negg – Assistant Stage Manager

 

 


Jungalbook
by Edward Mast
Zach Theatre

Fridays-Sundays,
September 07 - November 10, 2019
Kleberg Stage, Zach Theatre
South Lamar Blvd at Riverside Drive
Austin, TX, 78704

Saturdays at 2 p.m., Sundays at 2 p.m. beginning Sept 15; NO SHOWS weekend of Oct 5–6 and 12–13 (ACL Fest); special evening performance Friday, Oct 15 at 7 p.m.; Nov 2 added 11 a.m. performance for Sensory Friendly.

Tickets for Jungalbook are $18 (Youth) and $24 (Adult) and are available online at zachtheatre.org, by phone at 512-476-0541, or in person at the ZACH Theatre Box Office, in the Topfer Theatre, 202 South Lamar Boulevard (corner of Riverside Drive and South Lamar) Monday through Saturday, 12 – 5p.m. 

ZACH Theatre is wheelchair accessible. Groups of 8 or more may request reservations by calling  512-476-0594 x.245 or by emailing groupsales@zachtheatre.org

Special Events in Celebration of Jungalbook:

  • Opening Night: Friday, October 25, 2019 at 7 p.m.
  • Sensory Friendly and ASL Interpreted/Open Captioned Performance – Saturday, November 2, 2019 at 11 a.m.


The Moody Foundation is Season Underwriter of the Family Series and of Jungalbook with Holiday Inn Austin -Town Lake as Season Sponsors and Texas Gas Service as a Supporting Sponsor.