“The Swiss Family Robinson" at Davenport Junior Theatre -- April 25 through May 3.
Saturday, April 25, through Sunday, May 3
Davenport Junior Theatre, 2822 Eastern Avenue, Davenport IA
Inspired by Johann Wyss' classic adventure tale and boasting a cast of exciting student actors, a brand-new take on The Swiss Family Robinson enjoys an April 25 through May 3 run courtesy of the talents at Davenport Junior Theatre, this high-energy production written specifically for the Quad Cities company by Junior Theatre alum and St. Ambrose University graduate Brooke Galván.
In Galván''s interpretation of Wyss' timeless tale, Quinn and Sky absolutely do not want to read The Swiss Family Robinson. In fact, they'll do just about anything to avoid completing their homework, including spending way too much time on their phones. But when a thunderstorm turns their book into something straight out of Jumanji, the siblings find themselves living out the story – marooned on an island filled with exotic animals and the treehouse of their dreams. There's only one problem: They don't know how to get home.
Written by Swiss author Johann David Wyss, the original The Swiss Family Robinson novel was first published in 1812, and was the most successful of a large number of "Robinsonade" novels that were written in response to the success of Daniel Defoe's 1719 classic Robinson Crusoe. Wyss' novel was intended to teach his four sons about family values, good farming, the uses of the natural world, and self-reliance, and the book famously presents a geographically impossible array of large mammals and plants – ones that probably could never have existed together on a single island – for the children's education, nourishment, clothing, and convenience.
Davenport Junior Theatre alumna and playwright Brooke Galván (née Schelly), the author of this new Swiss Family Robinson, graduated from Davenport's St. Ambrose University and has appeared in numerous area stage productions. Among them were Working and The Importance of Being Earnest for her alma mater, The Pillowman for the QC Theatre Workshop, and Big Nate: The Musical and Junie B. Jones: The Musical for the Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse. Last April, Galván also debuted her new take on J.M. Barrie's Peter Pan for Davenport Junior Theatre.
The Swiss Family Robinson will be staged from April 25 through May 3, with performances on Saturdays at 1 and 4 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. (The April 26 performance will feature ASL interpretation.) Admission is free, though donations are gratefully accepted, and more information is available by calling (563)326-7862 and visiting DavenportJuniorTheatre.org.
