From the Director
James and the Giant Peach has always been one of my favorite stories ever since my 4th grade teacher read the entire book aloud to my class and I’m thrilled to be a part of bringing this story to life onstage. I’ve attended many of the school shows and public shows at The Rose over the past five years. The reaction when kids first step inside the beautiful theater and sense the magic and mystery never grows old for me. Seeing families leaving together talking excitedly about what they saw, what they loved, their questions, and the songs they continue singing as they leave … you know their world has expanded and that’s why I love making theater.
James and the Giant Peach is a fairy tale adventure. Typical of fairy tales, the young hero (James Henry Trotter) is left alone after his parents’ death. James goes to live with his aunts who are vain and self-occupied.
As you’d expect in a fairy tale, the aunts are villains – not unlike Cinderella’s cruel stepmother or the evil queen in Snow White. They show us the way NOT to behave. Roald Dahl did not believe in softening the villains in his stories – he understood the black and white thinking of young children – so, yes the aunts are very mean to James. But anything they say or do onstage is just what Dahl wrote in his book, giving parents /teachers the opportunity to talk about why Dahl thought it was so important to create such characters.
James is as sad as any little boy could be when “magical things” begin to happen and his adventures begin… on a giant peach with human-size insect friends! On his journey, James learns that he doesn’t need to be wholly dependent on others. Wonder, curiosity, ingenuity, and a willingness to help others can make dreams come true. I hope young and old alike are inspired by James to never lose hope, to believe in your dreams, and to trust your imagination!
Show Director Susann Suprenant
Going to The Rose Guide
It’s almost time for our next production, “James and the Giant Peach”, a play with music by David Wood and based on the book of the same name by Roald Dahl. We have assembled some special information to help you and your family get ready for the performance. Before you go, you might want to take a few moments to review this guide so everyone will know what to expect from the performance!
The Story You Will See
When James loses his parents in a tragic accident, he is forced to go live with his two very unkind aunts. Just when James is feeling most hopeless, he encounters an Old Man who gives him a special, magical bag of enchanted crocodile tongues. In his excitement, James takes a tumble and spills his magical bag under the gnarled old peach tree in his aunts’ yard.
Very soon, a huge peach appears on the tree and grows to an enormous size. After his aunts seize the opportunity to get rich by showing off the magnificent fruit, James crawls inside and encounters a group of enormous insects that inhabit it. He escapes his cruel aunts and embarks on a fantastical and thrilling journey across the ocean with his new insect friends using the giant peach as their adventurous means of travel!
The Characters You Will Meet
• Narrator – a wise storyteller who knows the unique tale of James Henry Trotter
• James Henry Trotter – a boy whose sad story becomes a remarkable adventure
• Aunt Sponge and Aunt Spiker – James’ terribly unkind and selfish aunts
• Old Green Grasshopper – a gentlemanly insect who plays the violin
• Ladybug – a kindly insect who wants everyone to be happy together
• Ms. Spider – an intelligent arachnid whose cleverness proves most helpful
• Earthworm – a worrying worm who rarely sees the bright side of things
• Centipede – a proud and provoking pest
• Children, Sailors, and Tourists – people who encounter James on his adventure
• Many Fantastic Sea Creature Puppets!
Things To “Know Before You Go”
• James’ story begins very tragically with the loss of his parents (who are killed by a wild rhinoceros), forcing him to move in with his very cruel aunts. The aunts are quite mean, call him ugly names, and say many, many unkind things to him.
• On his adventure, James and his insect friends encounter many intense situations, including attacking sharks, falling through the sky, and a battle with a dangerous, monstrous octopus.
• Occasionally, a couple of the insect characters talk to one another rather sarcastically. They don’t always treat one another with respect, but do learn to grow and accept one another along the way.
• During a scene where a ship captain can’t believe he is seeing a giant peach and sailing over the ocean, his shipmates accuse him of drinking too much alcohol.
Topics for Dinnertime Discussion
One of the best ways to enjoy a play is to talk about the story and the characters with others who saw the show. Below are some topics you may want to discuss.
Before the Show
• “James and the Giant Peach” tells the story of a sad, lonely boy who meets some unusual characters and escapes on a fantastic adventure. Have you ever been on an adventure? Where did you go and what made it so adventurous? If you could go on an exciting trip, where would you go?
• James is able to escape a difficult home life when he encounters an Old Man who offers him some magic. Have you ever wished you had some magic to help you in a difficult time? What kind of magic would you like to have? What would you do with your magic?
• “James and the Giant Peach” uses puppets to bring some parts of the story to life on the stage. Have you ever seen a show with puppets? What kinds of puppets have you seen and which ones were your favorites?
After the Show
• James finds himself in a terrible situation when he loses his parents and has to move in with his cruel and selfish aunts. What would you do if you were in his situation? How do you deal with people who are not nice to you?
• The insects in the story come to depend on James to find clever solutions to each problem they encounter on their journey. Have you ever been in a situation where you had to solve a big problem to help someone else? What was the problem? What did you do and how did you figure out how to do it? How did it feel – was it fun or was it stressful?
• Earthworm is not a very happy character – he always seems to see the worst side of everything that is happening. Why do you think Earthworm is so unhappy all the time? What do you think has happened in Earthworm’s life that has made him so negative? Are there any good things that come out of Earthworm worrying and expecting bad things to happen?
• By the end of their journey together, James and his insect friends have learned to work together as a team to overcome any obstacles that they face. Can you think of a time where you were a part of a team working together to overcome a challenge? How did you learn to work so well together?
• As the story ends, James and his insect friends are allowed to live in their peach pit house in Central Park in New York City. what do you think will happen to these friends now that their journey in the peach is over?
Awesome Aftershow Activities
After the performance, you might want to try these fun and educational activities at home to extend the experience!
• Costume a Crawling Critter – Design a costume for an actor playing one of James’ insect friends. You might want to find pictures of an insect first (say a ladybug or a centipede), and then draw a picture of what an actor would need to wear to look like that bug!
• Orchestrate an Ocean of Puppets – Many of the sea creatures in the play, such as sharks, seagulls, and even an octopus, are brought to life on stage using different kinds of puppets. Try making your own hand, rod, shadow, or other unique puppets to present your own picture of life under the ocean.
• Journal Your Own Journey – Write and illustrate your own tale, making a journal about an adventure you would take that’s similar to James’ story! Would you travel on a giant fruit or by some other means? What fantastical creatures would you want to travel with? Where would you travel?
From Story to Stage
• The play, “James and the Giant Peach”, was adapted by David Wood and is based on the beloved children’s book of the same title by Roald Dahl. Dahl’s book “Fantastic Mr. Fox”, which was performed last season at The Rose Theater, was also adapted by Mr. Wood.
• Mr. Dahl wrote numerous books for young readers including “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”, “Matilda”, and “The BFG”. Many of his popular stories have been adapted into movies and plays, including a new critically – acclaimed musical version of “Matilda” in London.
• The songs for the show were written by Satid Kippenberger and the show’s director, Susann Suprenant, based on David Wood’s Script.
While at The Rose
• Stay for the Post-Show Q&A – Our actors follow each performance with a 5-10 minute Q&A session conducted from the stage. The Q&A offers a wonderful opportunity to learn more about the scenery, costumes, special effects, and more!
• Meet the Cast & Get an Autograph – Some actors will be available after the show to sign their autographs. Meet them on the mezzanine outside the entrance to the balcony level seats.
• Take Home a Souvenir – The Rose Guild presents a souvenir stand at each performance that offers a variety of fun and inexpensive show-related mementos.
• Grab a Class Brochure – If you like what you saw on stage and think you would like to be a part of it, then sign up for a class at The Rose Theater. The Rose offers a wide variety of classes for every interest and experience level.
