Raven Meets the Monkey King is a story to delight children
Elementary school kids rom across the city have been treated to presentations on Monday and Tuesday at the Performing Arts Centre of Raven meets the Monkey King by Axis Theatre. Kids from Begbie View School (top image) crowded The Centre for Monday afternoon’s show, which starred Nyla Carpentier (bottom image, left), Ella Simon (center) and Aaron Lau. The play tells the story of JJ, an inquisitive 11-year-old, who dreams of becoming a rich and famous treasure hunter and hits the jackpot when she buys a mysterious box from a garage sale. Once she gets home the box magically opens and inside she finds a Raven mask wrapped in an old Chinese opera poster. JJ takes the mask and poster to a junk shop, hoping they’re worth something. Mr. Wheeler, the greedy junk dealer, slyly tells her they’re fakes and yet still wants to buy them. Suspicious, JJ refuses to sell. Determined to get a higher price, she sets out on an adventure and discovers a complex history behind the artifacts that reaches far beyond their market value. Aiding her on this quest are the spirits of the Raven (First Nations) and the Monkey King (Chinese), who were trapped in the box for ninety years but were released when JJ opened it. These tricksters, renowned in their respective cultures, share their stories and life lessons and guide JJ to understand that the value of money pales in comparison to the values of family and history. “Past and present all join together in a rollicking tale of how our lives are transformed by the people we meet, the choices we make and the stories we tell,” the theatre said in a statement. Top photo by David F. Rooney / Bottom photo by Emily Cooper courtesy of Axis Theatre
