At Center Stage Theatre, The Storyteller's Collective has become a core part of who we are. The Storyteller's Collective is our fringe, immersive theatre experience. The Collective features three shows brought together to create one meaningful evening of storytelling. As artists, the Collective gives us a chance to explore new methods in storytelling as we experiment with music, movement, and design concepts to elevate each story. It also gives us a chance to engage and challenge our audience with the goal of creating a cathartic experience between audience and artist. 

This year's Storyteller's Collective features The Moon, East of the Sun-West of the Moon: a Ballet, and The Little Prince.

Written by Centennial juniors Jack Ives and Leyla Davis and featuring original music by Jack Ives, The Moon is the story of four travelers who discover that the meaning of life is found in the light and connection we share with others. This adaptation from the original Grimm's fairy tale explores Erikson's stages of development and how the choices we make impact the life we lead. The language and depth of humanity the writers have captured is breathtaking and will leave the audience with a cathartic experience they will be thinking about long after the show ends!

East of the Sun, West of the Moon: a Ballet is also a Center Stage original production based on the Nordic fairy tale by Asbjornsen and Moe featuring music by Centennial sophomore Olivia Russell and choreography by sophomores Lucy Boyd and Madison Scales. The story, told entirely through music and lyrical movement, is a response to David Whyte's statement, "I want to know if you are willing to live, day by day, with the consequence of love." The beauty of the music alongside the stunning storytelling of the choreography tells the story of Astra who, in a moment of carelessness, curses her love to the castle that lies east of the sun and west of the moon. Astra must take a journey as impossible as the universe to reach her but isn't that "the consequence of love?" 

And finally, we conclude The Storyteller's Collective with The Little Prince, the classic existential story by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry which explores the idea that what is essential is often invisible to the eye and must instead be felt by the heart. The story emphasizes the value of love and friendship and asks the adults in the room to reclaim their child-like wonder in order to live life fully. With original music by Jack Ives and Olivia Russell, this story is perfectly complemented by the stories that precede it creating a cohesive conclusion that will leave our audience in awe as they process the call to action that echoes across all three stories from The Moon: "I'm done worrying about my past, I want to give her, give them all, a future.”