Special thanks to
Freedom Theatre Boosters; FHS Fine and Peforming Arts Faculty; Minuteman Press; John Hobson; Sarah Steadman; Jason McGraw; Anne O'Brien; Bret Harris; Shane Wickham; Freeman; Drama Parents; FHS Administration, FHS Faculty & Staff, FHS Media Center; Douglas Fulton; Veronica Short; Chris Hill; Colleen Moore; Glory Days; Social House; Velocity Wings; Little River, Liberty and Hutchison Farms Elementary Administration; The Home Depot; and the cast and crew of The Wind In The Willows!
Director's Note:
“Here today, gone tomorrow! Travel, change, excitement!” Freedom Theatre is so excited to kick off this season with a fast-paced, family-friendly comedy about one Mr. Toad, a silly, fun-loving creature who never really learns his lesson. The play is set in 1908, in an English town comprised of moles, otters, weasels, and many other critters, and presents the story of an adventurer whose fun ends up getting him into a pretty serious scrape with the law. Travel with us through this town of wild animals to see if Mr. Toad is able to talk his way out of this one!
The storybook, by Kenneth Grahame, presents a series of stories about Mr. Toad and his pals, Mr. Rat, Mole, and Badger, and Toad is often characterized as reckless and foolish. This dramatization not only accurately represents Grahame’s original story, but allows it to come to life through light-hearted dialogue with deeper meaning. The play challenges social norms such as stereotyping, and emphasizes the consequences of making impulsive decisions. It presents a cast of lovable characters, big and small, who are on a quest to find little Portly Otter, who goes missing early on in the show. In his search for Portly, Toad comes across and inevitably test-drives a limousine he finds in town, leading to his arrest. Meanwhile, a rowdy gang of weasels takes ahold of Toad Hall and things begin to run amok. The play builds to a climax with a daring chase scene and an epic battle between the weasels and the town’s residents.
This production was particularly challenging and exciting in several ways: it challenged student actors to be creative with their roles and designers to be innovative for elements such as costumes, props, sets, lights, and sound. Each scene takes place somewhere new, so the running crew has to work diligently backstage between each scene to get set the stage for what happens next. The actors not only have to portray characters that are developed and dynamic, but have to make the audience believe that they are specific wild animals at the same time. Marketing to a young audience became a major focus for our publicity team, and we even had the opportunity to perform a promotional show at our feeder elementary schools the week before the show.
Without the passion and commitment of the cast and crew, this play could not have come together to be the production you are watching tonight. I am deeply honored to be a part of such a creative and unique group of young artists, and I would like to express my extreme gratitude for the hard work put into this production. The incredible parent support provided the backbone for us, while the sincere dedication of the actors and technicians allowed the show its grace. It took the commitment of every person involved to make this show successful, and I could not be more proud of the work we have done together.
Rachel Novi
Theatre Director
