Approaching its fifteenth year in existence, ArtsPower is a touring pedagogical theatre company based out of New Jersey that has been touring the country with a number of different productions. They tour the country doing short shows based on books that would be popular among families. Some time ago, producers at Arts Power wanted to do a Laura Ingalls Wilder-based show. The books about a family of pioneers moving across the country by now were becoming a common part of the curriculum for schools across the country. Playwright Greg Gunning wanted to tell a story for the stage not specifically found in any of the books. The books describe life on the prairie in the age of pioneers. The unique setting is likely the main appeal of the novels, but Gunning wanted to focus the stage adaptation on the relationship between the members of the family. In fitting the parameters of the ArtsPower’s format, which usually has to contend with the special time constraints of its target audience, the entire musical is less than an hour in length. The resulting musical has become one of ArtsPower’s most successful.
The 55 minute Laura Ingalls Wilder musical comes to Wisconsin Lutheran College October 18th at 3pm.
