Journey to the West
at Northwood

Reviewed on April 19, 2018

NameSchoolPublication/Broadcasts
Mission Viejo
Orange County Register
Mission Viejo
Orange County Register
University
OC Cappies Facebook
University
OC Cappies Facebook
La Habra
OC Cappies Facebook
La Habra
OC Cappies Facebook



Devoree Shields
Mission Viejo

Submitted for publication to Orange County Register

Northwood's "Journey to the West" is an "ape-lus"
written by Devoree Shields, a senior at Mission Viejo High School

Woven throughout with cultural, childlike wonder, Northwood's "Journey to the West" paints the tale of four endearingly quirky characters bringing Buddhism to China, as they playfully illustrate the various lessons they must learn along the way.

Masterful physicality is found in Colleen Moore as she flies across the stage as Monkey, the bounding protagonist. Her stance is wide, arms hanging limp from weighted shoulders, curling her fingers in a primitive manner. Moore maintains a dumbfounded expression throughout, her curious eyes large and furry mouth gaping with infectious fascination, vividly portraying the captivating wonder of the plot. Her restless energy is complimented by her counterpart, Ananta Ferryanto as Tripitaka, who is rooted to the floor with a bowing, submissive posture.

Pristine and proud, Sumani Sadam strings the story along as the gliding Guanyin. She elegantly adds a thoughtful twist of modern impatience, rushing the traditional characters along with ladylike huffs of exasperation. Taking the fanciful text in stride, she leaps into her cast members arms, flying through the clouds with hilariously casual seriousness. Sadam provides delightful cultural appreciation as she dances, paying admirable attention to each movement of her fingers, eyes, and head, creating a majestic foreign atmosphere in the theater.

The ensemble as a whole is versatile and excellent. Both powerful in their voices and playful in their movements, they are lively with unfaltering energy throughout. One immediate standout is Jonah Meyer as the Dragon King, swiveling his hips and flicking his golden tail with sassy superiority. He purses his lips and raises his brow with judgmental disdain, establishing his royal status. Also admirable are Akash Seeramreddi and Sara Shaygan as the grouchy and grumbling Disciples. Crippling their posture and slowing their crooked gestures, they speak aged wisdom with raspy tones, representing the tremendous commitment of the ensemble.

The original music and detailed oriental set are phenomenal. A harmonious composition of traditional Chinese folk and Western styles, the original work of Aditi Mekala is both traditional and effective, providing a subtle underline of emotions during each scene, specifically the whimsical travel song. Designed by Kristin Ng the set is a scarlet temple, lined with eye-catching golden designs and surrounded by five pillars decorated with the delicate characters of Chinese proverbs. Technical masterpieces, these memorable designs are powerfully immersing.

Northwood High School is matchless in their execution of "Journey to the West", conjuring a playful atmosphere with cultural integrity.


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Devoree Shields
Mission Viejo

Submitted for publication to Orange County Register

Northwood's "Journey to the West" is an "ape-lus"
written by Devoree Shields, a senior at Mission Viejo High School

Woven throughout with cultural, childlike wonder, Northwood's "Journey to the West" paints the tale of four endearingly quirky characters bringing Buddhism to China, as they playfully illustrate the various lessons they must learn along the way.

Masterful physicality is found in Colleen Moore as she flies across the stage as Monkey, the bounding protagonist. Her stance is wide, arms hanging limp from weighted shoulders, curling her fingers in a primitive manner. Moore maintains a dumbfounded expression throughout, her curious eyes large and furry mouth gaping with infectious fascination, vividly portraying the captivating wonder of the plot. Her restless energy is complimented by her counterpart, Ananta Ferryanto as Tripitaka, who is rooted to the floor with a bowing, submissive posture.

Pristine and proud, Sumani Sadam strings the story along as the gliding Guanyin. She elegantly adds a thoughtful twist of modern impatience, rushing the traditional characters along with ladylike huffs of exasperation. Taking the fanciful text in stride, she leaps into her cast members arms, flying through the clouds with hilariously casual seriousness. Sadam provides delightful cultural appreciation as she dances, paying admirable attention to each movement of her fingers, eyes, and head, creating a majestic foreign atmosphere in the theater.

The ensemble as a whole is versatile and excellent. Both powerful in their voices and playful in their movements, they are lively with unfaltering energy throughout. One immediate standout is Jonah Meyer as the Dragon King, swiveling his hips and flicking his golden tail with sassy superiority. He purses his lips and raises his brow with judgmental disdain, establishing his royal status. Also admirable are Akash Seeramreddi and Sara Shaygan as the grouchy and grumbling Disciples. Crippling their posture and slowing their crooked gestures, they speak aged wisdom with raspy tones, representing the tremendous commitment of the ensemble.

The original music and detailed oriental set are phenomenal. A harmonious composition of traditional Chinese folk and Western styles, the original work of Aditi Mekala is both traditional and effective, providing a subtle underline of emotions during each scene, specifically the whimsical travel song. Designed by Kristin Ng the set is a scarlet temple, lined with eye-catching golden designs and surrounded by five pillars decorated with the delicate characters of Chinese proverbs. Technical masterpieces, these memorable designs are powerfully immersing.

Northwood High School is matchless in their execution of "Journey to the West", conjuring a playful atmosphere with cultural integrity.


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Haley Edwards
University

Submitted for publication to OC Cappies Facebook

Northwood's Joyous 'Journey'

Lights flash as haze fills the air and a booming voice thunders over the crowd. With such a strong opening begins the story of four unlikely friends in their journey to bring back scriptures from the west.

Traditionally inspired and studiously researched, Northwood High School's "Journey to the West" presents a classic story with bold colors and big characters.

Bright and bouncy is Monkey (Colleen Moore), full of loud enthusiasm and selfish folly. She balances on her toes, unable to contain her excitement, eyes full of wonder at each new sight on her journey. Cartwheeling across the stage, her acrobatics represent her accentuated agility, while her high voice and inability to stand still exaggerate Monkey's childish naivete.

Contrasting Monkey's excitement is the monk Tripitaka's (Ananta Ferryanto) reserved tranquility. Despite Monkey's absurd antics, Tripitaka remains calm and quiet, leading by example and gently chastising Monkey and the others. His reserved gestures and quiet voice display his piety and devotion to being a monk.


Sparkling and sassy is the princes Guanyin (Sumani Sadam). Despite her ethereal appearance in a sparkling white dress by costume designer Amelia Tannouri, Guanyin possesses a sassy side, evident in her exasperated eye rolls and sarcastic tone of voice. Popping her hip out, she pouts, before being gently hoisted to fly away on a breath of air.

A large Chinese temple towers over the stage, boasting a red wooden sliding door accented with golden studs and lion-shaped knockers. Visually stunning, the temple grounds the story in its historical roots, displaying the architecture of ancient China. Designed by Kirstin Ng, five pillars address the play's religious aspects in their representation of the hand of Buddha, towering over the stage in bold red and gold stripes.

Demonstrating the attention to detail and authenticity of the production is the music, originally composed and arranged by Audrey Harjanto and Leilani Zheng. Light and airy, its delicate complexity complements the action onstage. The classically inspired pieces reflect thorough research and commitment to the historical accuracy of the story.

Offering a detailed visual display, the ensemble uses their bodies to portray obstacles on the journey. As the leads cross the river, the ensemble gently sways their arms side to side, mimicking the tranquil lapping of the waves. A prickly forest of brambles, they claw and scratch the pilgrims. Both clean and committed, the ensemble adds complex physical obstacles, completing the story.


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Haley Edwards
University

Submitted for publication to OC Cappies Facebook

Northwood's Joyous 'Journey'

Lights flash as haze fills the air and a booming voice thunders over the crowd. With such a strong opening begins the story of four unlikely friends in their journey to bring back scriptures from the west.

Traditionally inspired and studiously researched, Northwood High School's "Journey to the West" presents a classic story with bold colors and big characters.

Bright and bouncy is Monkey (Colleen Moore), full of loud enthusiasm and selfish folly. She balances on her toes, unable to contain her excitement, eyes full of wonder at each new sight on her journey. Cartwheeling across the stage, her acrobatics represent her accentuated agility, while her high voice and inability to stand still exaggerate Monkey's childish naivete.

Contrasting Monkey's excitement is the monk Tripitaka's (Ananta Ferryanto) reserved tranquility. Despite Monkey's absurd antics, Tripitaka remains calm and quiet, leading by example and gently chastising Monkey and the others. His reserved gestures and quiet voice display his piety and devotion to being a monk.


Sparkling and sassy is the princes Guanyin (Sumani Sadam). Despite her ethereal appearance in a sparkling white dress by costume designer Amelia Tannouri, Guanyin possesses a sassy side, evident in her exasperated eye rolls and sarcastic tone of voice. Popping her hip out, she pouts, before being gently hoisted to fly away on a breath of air.

A large Chinese temple towers over the stage, boasting a red wooden sliding door accented with golden studs and lion-shaped knockers. Visually stunning, the temple grounds the story in its historical roots, displaying the architecture of ancient China. Designed by Kirstin Ng, five pillars address the play's religious aspects in their representation of the hand of Buddha, towering over the stage in bold red and gold stripes.

Demonstrating the attention to detail and authenticity of the production is the music, originally composed and arranged by Audrey Harjanto and Leilani Zheng. Light and airy, its delicate complexity complements the action onstage. The classically inspired pieces reflect thorough research and commitment to the historical accuracy of the story.

Offering a detailed visual display, the ensemble uses their bodies to portray obstacles on the journey. As the leads cross the river, the ensemble gently sways their arms side to side, mimicking the tranquil lapping of the waves. A prickly forest of brambles, they claw and scratch the pilgrims. Both clean and committed, the ensemble adds complex physical obstacles, completing the story.


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Makayla Davis
La Habra

Submitted for publication to OC Cappies Facebook

Northwood Does Not Monkey Around With "Journey to the West"
written by Makayla Davis, a freshman at La Habra High School

Mary Zimmerman's "Journey to the West" follows the timeless story of Tripitaka and his disciples as they make on a religious quest throughout Asia. Tripitaka and his companions; Monkey, Pig and Sha Monk, are often faced with monsters or other problems while on their way. Northwood High did an exceptional job in staying true to the story, but also executing it in a way that was fresh and exciting.

The hilarious Colleen Moore portrays Monkey, a glory searching king who has been gifted special powers by the gods. Moore not only makes this character comedic, but also very relatable and real. Whether she was battling a monster with a six foot wooden staff, or helping her friends out of a pickle, Moore remained consistent and engaged in the story.

Anata Ferryanto is incredibly wise and mature in his portrayal of Tripitaka. His character was often seen with Monkey, and provided a great contrast and relationship to see on stage. Ferryanto was commanding, knowledgeable and charming. This created a very important balance in the central story.

The primary narrators of the story, Jade Emperor and Guanyin, were portrayed by Jerry Xu and Sumani Sadam. Xu and Sadam were very powerful in their speaking and provided a lot of consistency in the production. Their narrations really filled in the gaps and even added humor to the piece.

The ensemble in the production worked incredibly well together. Whether they were acting as a river or dancing in a Bollywood type celebration, they were true to the story and moved in unison.

Kristin Ng's scenic design provided the actors with a space to create and the audience a place to imagine. The stage featured five pillars which had characters inscribed on them. Trap doors in the stage were often used as the doorway to the underworld or to the ocean; or when Monkey wanted to use his staff and it would come shooting up from the floor. The scenic design was not only functional, but very beautiful and well thought out.

The many talented actors and actresses outdo themselves in this marvelous show through movement and acting. A production filled with comedy, wonder and friendship, Northwood's "Journey to the West" is a truly magnificent production.


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Makayla Davis
La Habra

Submitted for publication to OC Cappies Facebook

Northwood Does Not Monkey Around With "Journey to the West"
written by Makayla Davis, a freshman at La Habra High School

Mary Zimmerman's "Journey to the West" follows the timeless story of Tripitaka and his disciples as they make on a religious quest throughout Asia. Tripitaka and his companions; Monkey, Pig and Sha Monk, are often faced with monsters or other problems while on their way. Northwood High did an exceptional job in staying true to the story, but also executing it in a way that was fresh and exciting.

The hilarious Colleen Moore portrays Monkey, a glory searching king who has been gifted special powers by the gods. Moore not only makes this character comedic, but also very relatable and real. Whether she was battling a monster with a six foot wooden staff, or helping her friends out of a pickle, Moore remained consistent and engaged in the story.

Anata Ferryanto is incredibly wise and mature in his portrayal of Tripitaka. His character was often seen with Monkey, and provided a great contrast and relationship to see on stage. Ferryanto was commanding, knowledgeable and charming. This created a very important balance in the central story.

The primary narrators of the story, Jade Emperor and Guanyin, were portrayed by Jerry Xu and Sumani Sadam. Xu and Sadam were very powerful in their speaking and provided a lot of consistency in the production. Their narrations really filled in the gaps and even added humor to the piece.

The ensemble in the production worked incredibly well together. Whether they were acting as a river or dancing in a Bollywood type celebration, they were true to the story and moved in unison.

Kristin Ng's scenic design provided the actors with a space to create and the audience a place to imagine. The stage featured five pillars which had characters inscribed on them. Trap doors in the stage were often used as the doorway to the underworld or to the ocean; or when Monkey wanted to use his staff and it would come shooting up from the floor. The scenic design was not only functional, but very beautiful and well thought out.

The many talented actors and actresses outdo themselves in this marvelous show through movement and acting. A production filled with comedy, wonder and friendship, Northwood's "Journey to the West" is a truly magnificent production.


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