Laughter filled the halls and students swung from trees as the mischievous Chinese super hero, the Monkey King, came to life in Douglas Anderson School for the Arts black box theatre earlier this month.
The theatre students of DASOTA performed 12 shows including six matinees of The Amazing Adventures of the Marvelous Monkey King. The cast included Dexter McDaniel of St. Augustine as the Dragon King.
Approximately 600 students from local elementary schools were in attendance to witness the evolution of the Monkey King as he found and lost a home, got kicked out of school, and battled with a one-horned ogre before somersaulting into the future on his adventures, where he hears hip-hop music and gets jiggy with it. This energetic and charming play where Chinese Opera and hip-hop collide included dancing, battles and heroics, with the impish Monkey King learning the importance of leadership, responsibility, and forgiveness.
The show was directed by Simone Aden-Reid, who has won several prestigious awards including the Distinguished Play Award from the Mississippi Theatre Association and the national Lazarus Foundation Award.