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Want to hear about an unlikely source for some children’s streaming theater? French writer Xavier de Maistre wrote Voyage autour de ma chambre in 1794 while imprisoned for six weeks. He wrote this parody in the style of a grand travel narrative, using the objects in his room as if they were scenes from a strange land. Dianne Nora’s Journey Around My Bedroom is loosely based on this work and celebrates imagination.
Xavi is a young girl who has been cooped up at home since the pandemic began. She is playing a video game and trying to reach the level where she gets to the moon. Mom drops by and wants her to clean her room. It is getting late and Xavi lays down in her bed and drifts off to dreamland.
The great explorer Xavier – with a French-inspired accent – lands in Xavi’s bedroom and immediately takes stock of his predicament. He is “marooned in a strange, untidy land.” The two begin their journey. Xavi tells him that she wanted to reach the moon. His reply? “You must. It’s lovely this time of year.”
Journey Around My Bedroom is a streaming show presented by New Ohio Theatre for Young Minds. After a brief introduction and a few participant instructions, this little grand adventure begins. The show is definitely geared to elementary school age children and even younger. All of the clever asides such as “patent pending” are extra bonus laughs for the adults watching.
Directed by Jaclyn Biskup, three performers remotely perform a combination of a Victorian era toy theater with some contemporary puppetry. The transitions between the different zoom screens are clever and fun. While the show’s spirit is light and whimsical, the themes of imagination, exploration and creativity are loud and clear.
Xavi is living life like the rest of us during this pandemic. She “doesn’t get to go out much these days.” When she tells Xavier that this place is her room, he exclaims, “It’s magnificent. You must show me the terrain.” It’s hard not to love his quirky little piece of inventiveness. As a plus, the audience is occasionally invited to jump into the show and participate.
After the performance, the three performers (Laura Kay, Starr Kirkland, and Ashley Kristeen Vega) held a Q&A discussion. They told the youngsters that inside the program there are puppets which can be cut out and made. You can bring Xavier on your own journey! One young lady who was holding her “goat teddy” seemed to take the whole message to heart. She wanted to make her own puppet show and film it.
Her father was watching with her and participated as well. He summed up the experience as well as anyone could. He told the creative team, “This was really delightful.” If parents are looking for a nice, comfortable and sneakily funny way to have an adventure with the kids at home, take a Journey Around My Bedroom. No one really has to know the translation of Zut alors! But it makes the experience even better if you do.
Journey Around My Bedroom is streaming live performances through January 10, 2020. The show will then be available on demand through February 11th.