Center Theatre announces performance dates for ‘Moana JR.’
DOVER-FOXCROFT — After a successful round of auditions, the Center Theatre announced that they will be presenting seven performances of Disney’s “Moana JR.” The play will be performed over two weekends starting May 27 and ending on June 5. The theatre is looking forward to a production that will not only be entertaining, but will also be educational for the community and the actors involved.
“’Moana JR.’ is a wonderful stage adaptation of the coming-of-age tale that many of us have seen on the movie screen,” said Patrick Myers, the theatre’s executive director. “Being able to bring it to life with a cast of local students will be a wonderful journey. We’re excited about the show because it gives the actors, and the audience, a chance to learn about a culture that is very different from our own.”
Myers acknowledges that there have been some concerns raised about a mostly Caucasian cast from rural Maine performing a show that is iconically Polynesian, but he and the production team are approaching the show from an attitude of education and appreciation.
“When we first were looking at the show we did discuss the risks of cultural appropriation. But given the care that went into writing the show itself and the resources available for our production, we are confident that we can present a show we can be proud of,” he said.
According to Music Theater International, the company that publishes Disney’s “Moana JR.,” “in creating the original film, the producers at Disney Animation formed an Oceanic Trust. This group of anthropologists, cultural practitioners, historians, linguists, and choreographers from islands including Samoa, Tahiti, Mo’orea, and Fiji was integral in the creation of the film, providing feedback and notes on everything from character design and song lyrics to the depiction of culture on screen. This respect and careful attention to detail was carried forward in the creation of ‘Moana JR.’ for the stage.”
Nathan Roach, the theatrical director of the show, echoes that sentiment. “We received some excellent materials from MTI that have helped us plan a show that respects and celebrates this culture and educates our actors in some of the wonderful heritage and history that we, in our small way, are sharing with a larger audience.” Roach shared that in order to be culturally sensitive there will be no tattoos worn by members of the cast and they are consciously avoiding stereotypical depictions of Polynesian culture that can be seen in more exploitative depictions such as grass skirts, leies, and coconut bras.
The production of “Moana JR.” will run for two weekends. Tickets are available on the theatre’s website, www.CenterTheatre.org, by phone at 207-564-8943, or in person at the Center Theatre box office, 20 East Main Street in Dover-Foxcroft.
The production of “Moana JR.” is made possible through the generous support of many donors and supporters, including Dave’s World, Dr. Kevin Chasse, The Maine Community Foundation, Lary Funeral Home and Piscataquis Monumental Co. The Center Theatre is a 501(c)3 non-profit corporation with a mission to make arts, education, and entertainment accessible to our rural communities to engage and inspire.