The Jungle Book
at Upper Merion Area High School

Reviewed on November 14, 2015

Emma Christensen
Ridley School District
Submitted for publication to Inquirer-1

Wolf-cub? Man-cub? The Upper Merion Underground Players prove that you can be both as they blur the lines between reality and fantasy in their rendition of The Jungle Book!

The Jungle Book has been adapted into diverse versions of plays over the years, however they all originate from Rudyard Kipling's book of the same name. The play shows Kipling as a boy in boarding school writing this famous work that centers around a human child being raised by wolves and bears in the jungles of India. His vivid stories come to life as colorful animal characters help this little boy learn and grow into the man he will become.

The students at Upper Merion displayed tremendous effort in taking on this difficult show. The majority of the actors portrayed wild animals; all developed their animals mannerisms with breathtaking ease ranging from swagger to disguised speech. Overall it was clear that the performers had fun on stage. This gave us, as the audience, permission to have fun along with them.

Katelyn Barr took control of the stage as she stepped into the male double role of Rudyard and Mowgli, the subject of Rudyards writings. She embodied an immense amount of confidence in her speech and movement that shined on stage. Caitlin Dwinnell also earned laughs in her evil role of Shere Kahn. Dwinnell transformed into a tiger and skillfully played the over-the-top character with high energy and fortitude.

The ensemble helped create the energy on the stage with their shrieks and howls. The supporting cast as a whole did their best to mimic animal traits with every step on stage.

The majority of technical aspects of the show were done by students and were superbly creative. The make up was animal-like and interesting to look at up close as well as far away. The stage crew had some minor difficulties in maneuvering the large set pieces, but nothing was incredibly blatant to the audience and overall they made clean and quick scene changes.

This silly play was fun and clearly enjoyable for audience members of all ages! The Jungle Book at Upper Merion was a wonderful heart warming family show!

Blake Eckert
Ridley School District
Submitted for publication to Inquirer-2

When brightly painted faces, fierce costumes, lots of howling and the love of storytelling come together, you know you're at Upper Merion's production of The Jungle Book.

The Jungle Book tells the story of a young boy, Rudyard Kipling, from India who is sent to England to attend boarding school. When the writing competition commences, young Rudyard decides to take the challenge. He writes about a baby boy, Mowgli, who is taken in by wolves and raised in the exotic jungles of India.

Caitlin Dwinnell played Shere Khan, the evil tiger who is trying to steal Mowgli from the wolves. Dwinnell's character voice and body language stood out, as she completely transformed into the king of the jungle who was determined to get what he wanted. Another notable performance was Bagheera, played by Marissa Emerson. Emerson played the role of a panther who taught little Mowgli his way about the jungle. She captured the role of the mother figure well with her genuinely warm tone of voice and her natural stage presence. Katelyn Barr also did well, playing both Rudyard Kipling and Mowgli. She tackled the task of having to develop two different characters and she did so graciously.

The ensemble had a big task, attempting to mimic the body language and accents of a range of different animals. They took to the task admirably, though in certain scenes there tended to be a lack of enthusiasm among these animal packs. The ensemble had certain humorous, realistic animal moments that added to the effect that Rudyard's story took place in a vivid, lively animal kingdom. The leads were easy to hear and understand, although the ensemble members without microphone were harder to hear.

The technical crew must have been very busy, since the sound, lighting, marketing, makeup and costumes were all student designed! The sound and lighting were simple and incredibly efficient. They helped the show run smoothly. The costumes were simple and seemed comfortable to perform in, though some seemed not to completely encompass the animals that the actors were trying to portray. This, however was not the case for the snake and tiger. These two costumes stood out in particular. The makeup was also effective and colorful, appropriately denoting the different species of animals.

The cast of The Jungle Book took on the difficult task of telling the story of a world unlike their own and completed it wholeheartedly.

Nathan Mullen
Westtown School
Submitted for publication to Viking Call

A boy raised by wolves, an evil and cunning tiger villain, and bright colors can all be found at Upper Merion Area High School's production of The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling!

The story of The Jungle Book originates in the early years of Rudyard Kipling, a luminary in the field of storytelling, and follows his journey as a young boy in boarding school struggling to find the right story to win his school's writing contest. When he thinks up the story, it immediately materializes behind him; A little boy is lost in the jungle and raised by a pack of wolves. The boy, named Mowgli, must learn the ways of the jungle from his animal teachers, Baloo and Bagheera, while protecting himself against Shere Khan, a hungry and clever tiger.

The cast performed with great aplomb, pushing through every difficulty and never breaking character. The actors who played animals were especially vigilant with their embodiment of their respective characters, using not only vocal and tonal variation but also bringing a distinct physicality to the table.

One actress who stood out from the crowd was Caitlyn Dwinnell, whose impeccable portrayal of the devious tiger Shere Khan had the audience in stitches with her arrogant growls and imperious demeanor. She truly sparked the energy of the rest of the cast, inspiring others through her own dedication to commit fully to the play. Her vocal technique and remarkable stage presence demonstrated her outstanding acting capabilities and skill on the stage.

Another actress with a considerable contribution was Kaci Walter, who played the part of Rann, the sentinel bird who warned of danger in the jungle. Her projection and precise physical articulation were enough to convince the audience that she could really be a watchful bird. Spot-on!

While there were a few hitches in the sound and scene transitions, the crew pushed through with little difficulty, immediately recovering and moving on with grace and poise. One technical aspect which stood out as impressive, was the make-up, designed by Shelby Lenhart, Ricky Christman, and Jenna Kravitz. Each character had their own design which added to their character.

If you're looking for laughs and a charming show for anyone of any age, then head on over to UMAHS for The Jungle Book! You won't be disappointed!