Flathead High School brings the magic of ‘The Little Prince’ to the stage

Flathead High School Theatre presents the classic tender tale by Antoine de Saint-Exupery, “The Little Prince” at the Blackbox Theatre at Flathead High School.  

“The Little Prince,” adapted for the stage by Rick Cummins and John Schoullar, tells the story of a world-weary Aviator whose sputtering plane strands him in the Sahara Desert, and a mysterious, regal little man who appears and asks him to draw a sheep. During their two weeks together in the desert, the Little Prince tells the Aviator about his adventures through the galaxy, how he met the Lamplighter and the Businessman and the Geographer, and about his strained relationship with a very special flower on his tiny planet. 

The tale of “The Little Prince” is a children’s story written for grown-ups.

“I first fell in love with the ‘Little Prince’ as a story when I found the book at a garage sale on the east side of Kalispell when I was 9 or 10 years old,” director Patty Hodges said. “It seems to me that the story has so many hidden secrets and every time I read it I find a new one. It is the perfect story for parents to read to their kids, to remember the joy and the innocence of childhood.”

“It also serves as a reminder as to what is truly important in life, and how sometimes as adults we get sidetracked by necessary but ‘unimportant’ things,” she added.

The Little Prince talks to everyone he meets — a garden of roses, the Snake and a Fox, who wishes to be tamed. From each conversation, he gains a unique insight which he shares with the Aviator.

“‘The Little Prince’ is about maintaining a childlike imagination even as we grow through life’s toughest experiences. It is a story that helps the audience reflect on what is truly important to them while highlighting the impermanence and permanence of everything around us because ‘just because [someone is] gone, doesn’t mean [they’ve] gone away,’” Hodges said. 

For the first time in the Black Box Theatre, a student artist will be recreate illustrations from the book on stage during the production, adding a bit of magic to the performance.

“I hope the audience comes away with a renewed heartfelt connection to the characters and to the world in general. That they can see the world anew through the eyes of a child and refocus on what is truly essential,” Hodges said. “The cast has put their whole selves into their character development. They have worked so hard to bring this play to life and on more than one occasion have brought me to tears with their storytelling.” 

The performance is co-directed by Kyla Niva.

The cast includes: Lou Corbett, London Loveless, Bronson Willcut, Sandro Pipolo, Cole Knutson, Sophie Hebert, Jax Stebbins-Han, Lincoln McElwain, Adisen Haag, Fallon Maas, Danica Luehr, Andrew Johnson, Samara Hackley, Sophia Bennett, Isabelle Bennett, Sophia Himsl, Keelan Moore, Ali Putzler, Myla Johnson, Nalani Sullivan, Badge Busse and Luke Banks as the Little Prince.

The stage and technical crew includes: Olive Lyngholm, Axel Jones, Peyton Bicha, Tabor Opper, Mario Zavala, Ava Plum, Dyson Linden, Mia Lamantia, Bayliss Cummings, Aubrie Mannon, Simon Ort, Michael Palmer, Tovar Rodriguez, Mackenzie Murray, Iris Bruce, Lily Amundson, Colin Lincoln, Adalicia O’Brien, Elysia Hernandez, Teegan O’Donnell, Hadley Dennison, Ada Milner and Nalani Sullivan; under the direction of Liz Sykora.

Performances will be held at 6:27 p.m. Feb. 29 and March 1.

Tickets are $8 for adults and $6 for children, students and senior citizens. Tickets may be purchased online at gofan.co by searching “Flathead High School,”  in the main office at the high school, Photo Video Plus and at the door.