In theatre, surprises aren't often revealed right away. It's much more fun for the actors who are "in the know" to wait and build up anticipation in the audience and then surprise them.
In keeping with his theatrical profession, Daniel Rairdin-Hale didn't reveal the specifics of his sabbatical project right away. About a year ago, all the students knew was that he was planning to adapt a children's story to the stage. Now, it is revealed Rairdin-Hale is taking on the French children's story The Little Prince!
In a way, it shouldn't come as a surprise. Anyone who has met Rairdin-Hale knows about his high enthusiasm and energy. In his acting and movement classes, he encourages students to leave their serious, "adult" shells behind and come play.
These students might have been researching for an essay, taking an exam, working on a group project, or completing a lab exercise before his class. But once in Acting and Movement class, they find themselves juggling, improvising, trying funny voices, learning how to fall comically, and more! It's all part of each student learning to be open to their "inner child" – which is what The Little Prince is all about.
The project is based on a novella published in 1943 and written by French writer and poet Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. In this now-famous novella, a pilot crash-lands in the desert and meets the Little Prince while trying to fix his plane. Over the eight days they are stranded, the Prince shares stories with the pilot. He tells the pilot about his tiny home planet and his love for a rose that grows there; six other small planets that he has visited (each inhabited by a single, foolish person); his adventures on Earth with a fox he tamed; and what he's learned during his travels. The child's imagination, wonder, and joy remind the pilot that growing up doesn't mean giving up childlike ways.
Making Masks
Dan most recently created masks for 'The Tempest' (2016) to convey the otherworldliness of the spirits on the island. Similarly, the masks in 'The Little Prince' will set certain characters apart – mainly the adults.
Rairdin-Hale is getting help with the production from fellow SAU alumni, including playwright and composer Aaron Randolph III '02, '10, actress Amelia Fischer '16, and SAU scene shop technician Zachary Lawson '18. The Little Prince is providing an opportunity for SAU alumni to come together, share their expertise, and learn from each other while celebrating the collaborative and teaching aspects of SAU Theatre.
In addition to his writing and theatrical movement skills, Rairdin-Hale is bringing a unique area of expertise to The Little Prince: mask-making. He most recently created masks for The Tempest (2016) to convey the otherworldliness of the spirits on the island. Similarly, the masks in The Little Prince will set certain characters apart-mainly the adults.
Currently, six masks are being cast in plaster molds. Two have already been assigned – one for the pilot and one for a lamplighter the prince meets during his adventures. The actor who plays the Prince will not be wearing a mask, showing that the Prince is innocent and open to the world rather than closed off from it like the adults. It's a new way to approach characters, and it will give the actors in the show a chance to learn how to act with masks-something that not all actors have done before.
Although Rairdin-Hale isn't teaching classes currently, his sabbatical project certainly provides and will continue to provide learning experiences for all involved-whether its scene workshopping, mask making, movement or new styles of acting. Perhaps the most important lesson The Little Prince will teach, though, is remembering how to be a child again.
The Little Prince will be headed from the little planet of the SAU Theatre Department to explore the Quad Cities area soon! Keep an eye out and be ready for surprises!
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