The Jungle Book

    The Murray State theater department brings out its wild side as it perform Vera Morris’ “The Jungle Book” next week at Lovett Auditorium.
    The story tells the tale of Mowgli, a young boy raised by wolves and reliant on his friends Baloo the bear and Bagheera the panther to teach him the ways of the jungle.
    Mowgli must stop Shere Khan, a tiger who vows to destroy him, from taking over the jungle.
    Because portraying an animal is not a very common acting demand, the prowling cast has experienced something most young actors do not.
    Kristina Whitehair, junior from O’Fallon, Ill., plays Rikki Tikki Tavi in the production.
    “I think I have it easier than a lot of people since I’m a mongoose,” Whitehair said. “I can move however I want to just as long as I’m energetic. It’s a challenge but it’s a fun challenge, especially when you get to research it and see how (the animals) actually move.”    Adario Mercadante, sophomore from Murray, portrays the enemy, Shere Khan.
    “I’m a theater major so any play I do I really enjoy,” Mercadante said. “‘The Jungle Book’ I grew up watching on Disney, so once I auditioned for this I wasn’t really going for anything specific, just any kind of animal movement would be really fun to do.”
    In order to act as the enemy, Mercadante had to discover his inner roar.
    “I just get in the mind of Shere Khan and find out if he really wants to be evil,” Mercadante said. “I find that he wants to have everyone beneath him; he wants to be in a position of power, and to do that he has to use fear.”   
    The department produces a children’s show every February.
    “The intended audience is elementary school children,” said Beth Ribar, stage manager and junior from Louisville, Ky. “We have some seventh- and eighth-graders that are coming but it is mostly geared toward first through fifth grade. The show is very high energy and the cast and crew are great, so I hope the kids enjoy the show.”
    After the show ends each night, the cast will get to greet the audience. Several cast members said they consider the children’s interpretation their favorite part about the February show.
    “It’s just really cool to see the kids’ reactions,” Mercadante said.
    “When the kids are really excited about things and are laughing, it’s really fun just to entertain them and to make them happy,” Whitehair said.
    The show opens at 7:30 p.m. Monday in Lovett Auditorium. The show runs at 9:30 a.m. and noon Tuesday and 10 a.m. Wednesday and Thursday. General admission is $2.50 and student admission is free with a Racercard.
    Contact Taylor at ataylor2@murraystate.edu.