A Different Kind of Christmas Story

CAST presents Dulce Domum, or “Sweet Home.”  Directed by Althea Hukari, the world premiere runs December 5 through December 14 at Columbia Center for the Arts in Hood River. The show plays Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30, Saturday and Sunday at 2:00 with a special bi-lingual Pay-What-You-Will performance on Thursday, Dec. 11 at 7:30. 

About the Story

Dulce Domum is the title of chapter five of Kenneth Grahame's classic The Wind in the Willows. It is a heart-warming tale of friendship, homecoming and enduring spirit.

Living the good life along the riverbank with his friend Rat, Mole has long abandoned his old home Mole End. But with the help of Rat's unwavering determination, it is rediscovered and the empty place is transformed into a haven of warmth and contentment for Mole, Rat and the cheerful field mice who come a-caroling.

The book The Wind in the Willows originally came about because Grahame wished to entertain his son Alistair with fantastical tales of a strange world full of talking creatures. Already well-known by 1908 as a children's author, he had no intention of publishing The Wind in the Willows and had to be all but coerced into doing so.
Now nearly everyone knows the story, thanks to the skill with which Grahame constructs his world and the vivid force of his language.

Event Dates / Times	December 5, 6, 12, 13 at 7:30 December 11: bi-Lingual performance at 7:30 pm December 6, 7, 13, 14 at 2:00 pm
Tickets & Pricing	$15 General admission; $12 Seniors and students. Tickets available at Columbia Center for the Arts and Collage of the Gorge in White Salmon.
Location	Columbia Center for the Arts, Hood River
More Information	Call Columbia Center for the Arts at 541-387-8877

 

 

The "Book It" Style

Hukani determined that the play was ripe for the “Book-It” treatment. 

Dedicated to the written word, this unique style of theatre does not edit the author's original text-- even pages of background descriptions and all the "he saids" and "she saids" get acted out on stage. The text is preserved not as narrative but as dialog spoken by characters. Each original production offers new challenges for the director, cast and crew to solve together.

Click here to learn more about the Book It style.

The Director & Cast

Local playwright, director and theatre teacher, Althea Hukari, was drawn to the evocative language and memorable characters in Grahame's book, which celebrates its 100th year in print in 2008.  She felt especially drawn to the Christmas story in chapter five and thought it would make an unusual holiday treat for readers and theatre-goers of all ages.

Hukari, who moved back to Hood River in 2000 after pursuing a degree and then a career in theatre, was a long-time member of Book-It Theatre in Seattle, whose mission is to “transform Great Literature into Great Theatre.”

Hukari has drawn on a gifted crew of CAST favorites like Tom Penchoen as Ratty, Alison McDonald Bryan as Mole, and Jeanette Burkhardt as a shape-shifter named Earth, along with newcomers to the stage including nine children from age 7 to 14. Virginia Flynn's original paper-cut art work will serve as set design as well as the poster and graphics for the show. Bill Weiler composed original music for the choir of Field Mice and Mark Dane has taken on the challenge of lighting design for the production.