'The Jungle Book' at the Arden

The story begins with the finding of a man cub, who is adopted by the wolves, given the name Mowgli, and then turned over to Baloo, the laidback bear (Charlie DelMarcelle), and Bagheera, the stern black panther (Nikki E. Walker), to protect him from Shere Khan until he is old enough to fend for himself.

Mowgli, played with wide-eyed innocence by Thaddeus Fitzpatrick, first learns to walk and talk and then discovers disobedience when he runs off with a troop of twerking monkeys and winds up in a pit of snakes, from which he is eventually rescued by the rock python Kaa (Taysha Canales). Along the way, he learns two valuable lessons: to listen to his elders and that in the jungle everyone and everything is connected.

A jungle with rules to learn

It’s a fantasy world that places the children in the set itself as the actors cavort above and around them. And the actors do cavort, jumping over and across and up and down a colorful yet bare stage that somehow manages to convey the world of the jungle. But it’s also a world of rules and laws, rules that a rebellious young man cub has to learn to navigate.

We talk about the laws of the jungle as harsh and cruel, but the laws of this jungle are about living together in harmony, if not necessarily in peace, and accepting those who are not like us. These are timely lessons in a world where people seem to be growing ever more polarized and distant from one another.

The motto of the jungle’s denizens is “We are of one blood,” so they must help each other. The most dangerous creature is man. “Do not kill a man,” they warn one another, because if you do, men will come back and kill even more of you, and the violence will be never-ending. Despite this, the wolves fight to keep Mowgli as part of their pack, even knowing he must one day return to his own kind. They can only hope the lessons they teach him will resonate when he is older.

In and out of the action

The performers are both actors and narrators, moving the story along in places by filling in the blanks rather than acting it out in scenes. They are simultaneously in the action and commenting on it, making sure that the kids in the audience can follow along. And it works. It’s a rather long play for an evening performance, but the children stayed awake and engaged throughout.

Every play lately seems to demand that the actors climb poles and tumble about on stage, and this is no different. Most of the actors play multiple roles, which means, in this case, multiple species. Transforming from wolf to snake, Canales loses ears and gains a snakelike train. Walker’s transition from panther to vulture means losing a tail and gaining wings. DelMarcelle goes from easygoing bear and paternal wolf to mischief-making monkey by changing tails, wigs, and posture. The actors contort their bodies, change their voices, and make use of every inch of the stage and beyond.

It’s a fun play for children, with moral lessons that don’t feel burdensome, and a fun romp for the adults who accompany them.

Above right: Thaddeus Fitzpatrick as Mowgli and Nikki E. Walker as Bagheera. (Photo by Mark Garvin)