BY: MEGHAN WEEMS
Guest Contributor
At St. Louis Community College-Meramec this spring, theater magic wasn’t just happening onstage — it was happening in the aisles, on benches and even in the hands of a top-hat-wearing toddler. Roald Dahl’s James and the Giant Peach transformed the Meramec Theater into a whimsical world where children didn’t just watch the story unfold — they were part of it.
From April 16 to Easter Sunday, under the direction of J. Michelle Rebollo, Meramec’s Theater department invited families, students and young dreamers into Dahl’s tale of adventure, magic and marvelous friendships. With live music, onstage seating, and playful fourth-wall breaks, the production offered young audiences a rare chance to experience the wonder of live theater up close — and maybe even wriggle right into the story themselves.
“I hope all the kids in the audience had fun. A lot of the shows we do are aimed at adult or college audiences, the kid-centered shows give people a chance to show their kids that theater can be for them too,” said wig and makeup supervisor Chloe Ortiz.
A child himself- the titular character of James in the play escapes his malevolent aunts with the help of a magic old man, five anthropomorphic bugs and a gargantuan peach.
The ensuing tale is full of childlike wonder and ‘marvelous, marvelous things’ as James and his odd band of beastly friends travel across the Atlantic Ocean from England to New York City- only with the aid of a pack of seagulls and friendship, taking the audience on a journey full of courage, comedy, and the occasional outburst of song and rhyme.
James’ unlikely cohort of insects includes a spider, grasshopper, centipede, ladybug and earthworm: all transformed into character by the addition of wings, legs and antennas. Meanwhile, James’ evil Aunts Spiker and Sponge are the picture of fairytale villainy in their multi-patterned neon skirts, tights, and character shoes.
“The costumes really give you that sense of storybook imagination and eccentricity I think of when I think of Roald Dahl,” said Emmie Harris, a Thursday night audience member.
The grasshopper specifically has a special edition to his costume- a synth violin. Throughout the show two foleys- played by Brandon Ortiz and Ambrose Lemons respectively- and the grasshopper himself play live musical accompaniment on their handheld synths.
“You know, the goal is for any audience member to have a good time at any age,” said music coordinator Brandon Ortiz.
Lemons played the clarinet and at one point an electric guitar even made an appearance on stage, played by Ortiz. These live aspects untraditionally immerse the audience with the movement on stage and add a bit of modern magic into the classically fantastical tale.
The play also connected with its audience by routinely breaking the fourth wall, with characters directly asking the audience to shout answers back onstage. Several families were seated on a variety of wooden benches onstage to watch the show from an even closer angle- to the evident delight of one top hat wearing toddler Thursday night.
“I love onstage seating in any kind of production,” said Harris, “it’s definitely cool for the kids, they had to literally wrangle that little boy.”
This kind of interactive theater is designed to get young kids interested in and familiar with theater, performing arts and live shows, said Rebello. It offers an introduction for a child’s first show, though it promises entertainment for audiences of all ages.
