Once upon a time ago I created and directed a children’s theater company in Charleston, South Carolina. We produced a play for the Piccolo Spoleto Arts Festival which forever haunts me in its words and wisdoms.
In “The Arkansaw Bear”, a wishing star unfolds a magical tale to help a young girl understand why her grandfather has to die. In this story an old dancing bear is laboriously and passionately running away from death. He manages to ‘lock, block and enclose’ death in a closet to buy him some time….time for what? He needs to pass his essence on to someone before he dies. He stumbles across a young bear and the entire play is literally a wild dance to ‘beat the clock’ and teach this young bear his dances before death is released from the closet.
Yes, it is a win win….the young bear learns the dances to perfection, the old bear steps into the great beyond and the young girl understands, as she is met with the news that her grandfather has passed, that she holds his music, his soul treasures, in her heart and soul forever.
Thank you, Aurand Harris, and Melanie and Bobby.