Minnesota author Kate DiCamillo's "Raymie Nightingale" premieres as play with all-female cast at Stages in Hopkins
HOPKINS, Minn. – A Twin Cities theater production is getting great reviews.
Minnesota children's author Kate DiCamillo is known for her books. Now, her work is taking on a whole new form.
"'The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane' is very well known. 'Because of Winn Dixie,' 'Flora and Ulysses,' the list goes on and on. She is prolific," said Sandy Boren-Barrett, artistic director of the Stages Theatre Company in Hopkins. "Kate DiCamillo is an incredibly popular book writer. Teachers love her stories because they have themes that have some meat to them, they have characters and they're funny. All of the things that you want your kids to read in school."
Boren-Barrett and an all-female team of Hopkins thespians decided to bring DiCamello's work to a new medium.
"It's a world premiere. It's never been done before, and Stages is premiering this play," she said.
It's based on the novel "Raymie Nightingale" – and the reviews and recaps are in.
"It was good," said third grader Carlos Holliday. "I liked the sounds…cat sounds and noises like birds."
Raquel Patterson is Carlos' mother.
"I thought it was nice for all ages. The adults seemed to enjoy it," Patterson said. "I think the adults caught a little bit more of the humor than the kids did, it was nice."
Some of those kids had read the book, as part of Noble Elementary third-grade teacher Brian White's homegrown curriculum plan.
"We want them to learn that they can be authors, and having somebody from in town who's as famous as Kate is, it was just really cool for them to see the action of a new book or play. It was great," White said.
The show has been steadily selling out, as the work of one of Minensota's most heralded authors reaches a new stage. The play is recommended for patrons 7 or older.
It's running at Stages Theatre Company through May 21. Click here for more information.