By Mary Richardson

The Banners Series at McNeese State University is continuing its 30-year-commitment to family entertainment with three shows this season:

•The Moonlight Princess, a full scale puppet show, will take place at 2 p.m. on Sunday, April 2, in Tritico Theatre on campus.

•Family Film Night on the Lawn (i.e. the front yard of F.G. Bulber Auditorium) will show the movie Inside Out at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, April 14. The Calcasieu Parish Police Jury is the co-sponsor.

•A small-scale production of The Wizard of Oz will take place at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, April 19 in F.G Bulber Auditorium, plus a free showing for area schools and home-schoolers at 10 a.m.

Family Film Night is free. The Wizard of Oz adult tickets are $10 and students $5 (12 and under are free) for the 7 p.m. performance. A performance at 10 a.m. on April 19 is free to all public and homeschool students. Attendance can be scheduled through the Banners office at 337-475-5997. Tickets for Moonlit Princess are $20 for adults, $10 for children under the age of 17, and free to McNeese and Sowela students with ID. Due to the generosity of Banners Sponsor Reed Mendelson, free tickets will be provided to all first responders, seniors over the age of 80 and children 12 and younger.

The Moonlit Princess

The Moonlit Princess is a gorgeous puppet show based on a Persian fairytale designed and directed by acclaimed multidisciplinary artist Afsaneh Aayani. The Moonlit Princess combines table-top puppetry, shadow puppetry, original music, and movement to create a magical story that the entire family will enjoy. The production retells a Persian fairy tale, according to Banners Director Brook Hanemann, “that delivers a wonderful message about kindness.”

Aayani received a BFA in puppetry from The Art University of Tehran and says she is excited to share her passion with her audience. This project was only a dream for Aayani until she received a grant from Houston Arts Alliance. The resulting show was inaugerated in Houston, and it caught the attention of Banners Assistant Director Randy Partin. He told Hanemann about it and she drove her girls, then 3 and 9, to Houston to see it. “They fell in love,” Hanemann recalled.” My daughter Sophia told me she wildly ‘loved puppet shows,’ even though it was the first puppet show she had ever seen. Hanemann decided she wanted to give all the children (and adults) in this area the chance to fall in love with the puppets too.

According to Aayani, the legend follows the story of Little Mah as she loses her parents, faces difficulties, all while choosing kindness — and in the end finding herself. In her production, she incorporates elements of fairytale classics, from magical ghouls to talking frogs. “It’s both whimsical and family-friendly,” says Hanemann. “It’s suitable for adults and kids ages two to 100!”

Family Film Night Showing of Inside Out

Family Film Night on April 14 is the first Banners Series event this year to take place outside on the grass in front of Bulber Auditorium. Hanemann invites people to, “Grab a blanket and meet us on the beautiful oak-lined lawn for this open-air movie viewing.”

Inside Out, the movie chosen for the outside viewing, is rated as “family/comedy/animation” and has a running time of 1 hour and 35 minutes. The film synopsis is: Growing up can be a bumpy road, and it’s no exception for Riley, who is uprooted from her Midwest life when her father starts a new job in San Francisco. Like all of us, Riley is guided by her emotions – Joy (Amy Poehler), Fear (Bill Hader), Anger (Lewis Black), Disgust (Mindy Kaling) and Sadness (Phyllis Smith). The emotions live in Headquarters, the control center inside Riley’s mind, where they helpfully advise her through everyday life. As Riley and her emotions struggle to adjust to a new life in San Francisco, turmoil ensues in Headquarters. Although Joy, Riley’s main and most important emotion, tries to keep things positive, the emotions conflict on how best to navigate a new city, house and school. Ultimately, Riley learns that there is a healthy place for all of her emotions, even the ones whose gifts are at first hidden.

The Wizard of Oz

The small-scale musical production of the Wizard of Oz on April 19 will give an intimate rendition of this classic tale. The production has been adapted, designed and directed by Michael Schloegl for Vital Theatre Company in New York City. In just one hour’s time, a cast of six actors tell the classic tale that has been entertaining audiences for ages, helped along with the Munchkins as puppets, one flying monkey and a funny witch.

Hanemann says the production is perfect for the two to seven-year-old audience. “We want to be the first to bring them the joy of following the yellow brick road with Dorothy, and meeting the scarecrow, the tinman, and the cowardly lion as they travel through a reimagined world of Oz,” she said.

For more than 30 years Banners at McNeese has been bringing live art into area schools and has been treating local students to performances, workshops, and outreach programming. “This is a joy and a privilege that we take very seriously,” Hanemann says. “The students that fill our audiences today will be our next generation of cultural torch-bearers, and we have got to infuse them with a love for their heritage, for communication, and for the arts.”

She added that investing in our children today will ensure that the rich Southwest Louisiana community and culture remain vibrant. “Plus,” she said, “there’s just nothing quite as moving and fun as witnessing kids become inspired. It is the best part of my job.”