REVIEW: The Silver Whistle at Actors Gymnasium

ChiIL Mama's Chi, IL Picks List:

The Silver Whistle

Last Call. Must end Sunday!

The Actors Gymnasium Spring Youth Circus 

PRESENTS

An Empowering and Highflying Adaptation of Jay Williams 

Beloved Children's Story

**The magic of The Silver Whistle is recommended for ages 5 & up!**

Book written by Jay Williams

Adapted & Directed by Anna Basile & Abby Pajakowski

Circus Choreography by Sylvia Hernandez-DiStasti & Tommy Tomlins

It was our great pleasure to catch the opening performance of The Silver Whistle last Saturday, and we adored it! Actors Gymnasium has long been a favorite of ours for high caliber, playful and professional productions. They raise the bar on creative book based adaptations and original works while seamlessly incorporating stellar circus arts, live music, and superb storytelling. This show is my 16 year old son, Dugan's 2nd Actors Gymnasium production, while his sister, Sage, was in the past spring and fall shows. He has loved the cast camaraderie and welcomed the opportunity to work on circus choreography with some of Chicago's top talent. 

Sure, the spring and fall youth circus productions are comprised of a cast of kids, but don't underestimate them. Auditions are required for these shows and the talent pool runs deep. We highly recommend checking out The Silver Whistle. It's a charming tale with a female lead, upbeat choreography, impressive circus arts, catchy tunes, and a great message. This is a good bet for multigenerational fun for ages 5 to 105...

We do recommend booking tickets on line in advance if possible. It's a small theatre and shows do sell out. The up side is, there's not a bad seat in the place! What are you waiting for? Go already.  



Saturday(s) May 13 & 20 at 4:30PM and 7:30PM 
Sunday(s) May 14 & 21 at 3:00PM
Tickets: $15 - $20
Group reservations and general questions call 847.328.2795
On-site box office opens 1.5 hours prior to the start of each performance

MORE ABOUT THE SHOW
"Prudence the Plain" has never left the small village where she grew up, sheltered by her mother, the Wise Woman of the West. But now her mother has fallen ill and leaves Prudence with a magical silver whistle and a word of advice: go out into the world and live. Despite grief and uncertainty, Prudence sets out on a journey to create her own life. She encounters creatures of all kinds, a clever witch seeking the throne, and a one-of-a-kind Wazar. The Silver Whistle explores what happens when an unlikely hero chooses to embrace her ever-changing world and the people inhabiting it. 

The production is an empowering and highflying adaptation of the original children's book written by Jay Williams. Anna Basile and Abby Pajakowski direct this circus theatre production at the Actors Gymnasium. While reading the story, they were struck by its illustrations - an entire world is brought to life with its beautiful, whimsical and often very funny images. These images inspired the choreography and circus routines, honoring the highly physical style of performance for which Actors Gymnasium is known. 




WORDS FROM THE DIRECTORS
"We loved Prudence immediately because her so-called plainness affords her the freedom to explore the world without expectations and become whatever person she wants be. As an ensemble we asked ourselves, who do we want our heroine to be?"