Whole lotta Munsch

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 19/12/2018 (2660 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

There’s something magical about Robert Munsch’s stories.

From Dec. 20 to Jan. 6, Prairie Theatre Exchange has thrown a number of Munsch’s best-loved tales into a high-energy blender. The result is Munschtopia, a 50-minute interactive holiday show.

“It’s fun, high energy show,” said Gwendolyn Collins, who plays Jeannie (among other characters) in Munschtopia. “We play a bunch of characters. All the departments are working really hard to come together for a really magical holiday show.”

Collins, who lives in East Kildonan, is joined on stage by Spenser Payne and Amanda Shymko. Together, they’ll be bringing Munsch’s Put Me in a Book!, Pyjama Day!, Jonathan Cleaned Up – Then He Heard a Sound, Wait and See, and Murmel, Murmel, Murmel to life. 

“We play these separate characters between stories that ties it all together,” Collins said. “My character (Jeannie), she’s kind of magical and kind makes the show happen.”

The stories were adapted by PTE veteran Debbie Patterson.

“The kids are there to see their favourite Robert Munsch stories, so the framing story has to show them off without getting in the way,” Patterson said in a statement. “When you look at a diamond ring, you don’t really notice the gold setting. But if the diamond was there without the ring, you’d definitely know that something was missing!”

If familiar stories and larger than life characters weren’t enough to keep a kid’s attention for 50 minutes, Munschtopia also throws some audience participation into the mix.

“We do a high-energy version of Jonathan Cleaned Up – Then He Heard a Sound,” Collins hinted. “There are  a lot of people on that subway, let me tell you.”

While Mortimer isn’t included in this year’s Munschtopia production, the story is one of Collins’ personal favourites.

“I could relate to him,” said Collins, who had previously acted in PTE’s Munsch production in 2009-10. “I think that’s what’s special about Munsch, kids can see themselves in his stories. It’s the adults who don’t understand or are these crazy characters.”

Collins said she first caught the acting bug as a Grade 5 student at Salisbury Morse Place School.

“I had an amazing music teacher —Madame Walker — who got us hooked on music and theatre,” she said. “That’s when my love for theatre blossomed, and I knew I wanted to do this for the rest of my life.”

While she has performed a number of roles since her early days at Salisbury Morse Place and the Manitoba Theatre for Young People, Collins said there’s something special about acting for young audiences.

“The great thing about acting for kids is they’re the most honest audience you can get,” she said. “If kids are bored, they’re going to let you know. You know if you’re losing them or if you have them. They keep you honest.”

Munschtopia runs from Dec. 20 to Jan. 6, 2019 at Prairie Theatre Exchange. Tickets are $13.25 each, with family four-packs available for $48. For more information, visit www.pte.mb.ca or call 204-942-5483.

Sheldon Birnie
Community Journalist

Sheldon Birnie is a reporter/photographer for the Free Press Community Review. The author of Missing Like Teeth: An Oral History of Winnipeg Underground Rock (1990-2001), his writing has appeared in journals and online platforms across Canada, the U.S. and the U.K. A husband and father of two young children, Sheldon enjoys playing guitar and rec hockey when he can find the time. Email him at sheldon.birnie@freepress.mb.ca Call him at 204-697-7112

   Read full biography