“A Wrinkle in Time” is for children of all ages
Listen to this articleA Wrinkle in Time was first launched as a science fantasy novel in 1963. It was written by American writer Madeline L’Engle and was aimed at the children to young adult audience. It quickly won several awards and has subsequently been made into an opera, a graphic novel and several plays.
It was also made into a film in 2003 starring Katie Stewart, David Dorfman and Gregory Smith. That film garnered five nominations. Scheduled for release in 2018 is another film version of A Wrinkle in Time, this time starring Reese Witherspoon, Chris Pine, Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Oprah Winfrey.
But you don’t have to wait for the new film to be released and that you may have missed previous stage versions is fine because you can now see A Wrinkle in Time at the Sierra Madre Playhouse. This performance has been adapted by John Glore, directed by Christian Lebano and stars Kristyn Chalker, Cate Jo, Mike Rose, Boone Grigsby, Lena Thomas and Ben Horwitz.
Meg Murry is a bright but sad misfit anguishing over the absence of her father for more than two years. One dark and stormy night Meg receives a surprise visit from a rather odd woman known as Whatsit. Soon Meg, her brother Charles and her friend Calvin are transported through time and space in search of Meg’s father. This is accomplished not by NASA nor Space X but rather by the far more efficient wrinkle in time.
The story unfolds on stage with an abundant application of visual and sound effects all brilliantly applied adding much to the overall performance. It is a story that does require an open mind and an ability to employ imagination abundantly. Being the ancient curmudgeon I freely admit to being I found some of it a bit ‘out there.’
That said overall it was a superb show and very entertaining and with the very much needed extremely happy ending. It should also be mentioned that given the limitations that naturally exist in a modest sized venue such as the Sierra Madre Playhouse, the effects, the staging, the sound and the lighting were all truly amazing. For that kudos to Rebecca Hairston, Matthew G. Hill, Todd McCraw, Christopher Moscatiello and Kelsey O’Keeffe.
A Wrinkle in Time runs now through April 22nd 2017 with shows every Friday at 8:00 p.m. and every Saturday at 2:30 p.m. The Sierra Madre Playhouse is located at 87 West Sierra Madre Boulevard, Sierra Madre, California and happily there is an abundance of free parking right behind the theatre.
Sierra Madre is also home to several excellent restaurants so you can enjoy a full day of pleasure and entertainment. Reservations may be made by calling 626-355-4318 and online ticketing here.
Photos by Gina Long
Top photo: Mike Rose, Cate Jo, Kristyn Chalker, Lena Thomas and Boone Grigsby
Ron Irwin was born in Chicago, Illinois a long time ago. He served in the Marine Corps in Vietnam, became a trial lawyer, TV and radio host, CEO of a public company and once held an Emmy. He never won an Emmy he just held one. Ron has written and published twelve books. His most important book to date is “Live, Die, Live Again” in which Ron tells of his early life and his unexpected and very temporary death in 2012. That experience dramatically refocused his life and within the pages of that book Ron reveals how he achieved a much healthier life, ridding himself of Diabetes, Cancer and Heart Failure. Now Ron enjoys writing about many things including health topics, travel [he has circled the globe several times], adventure, culinary experiences and the world of performing art. Ron’s motto is “Live better, live longer and live stronger because it feels great and annoys others.” Contact the author.