This delightful tale from the Brothers Grimm is about a feisty little tailor who kills seven flies in one blow. Impressed with his own accomplishment, he creates a sash with the words “Seven in One Blow” and, wearing it, sets off to make his fortune. But everyone he meets assumes that he has killed seven knights, not seven flies. Faced with a series of challenges, the tailor rises to meet each one. Using his pluck, courage and intelligence he defeats two evil giants, conquers a rampaging rhinoceros, saves the kingdom from a ferocious dragon, and wins the hand of a Princess too!
With expressive masks, life-size puppets, original music and imaginative scenic effects, Enchantment brings this beloved story to life in its uniquely magical way!
The Brave Little Tailor Trailer
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In a country where the story told about people of the Muslim faith is often manipulated or dramatized to show suffering, oppression and pain, Enchantment Theatre Company sees the opportunity to tell a very a different tale – one of self-discovery and joy. The author of this tale – Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow will be our partner in creating a script from her original text – Mommy’s Khimar.
Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow, M.S.Ed, is a Philadelphia-based author and educator and her picture books and short stories, which feature young Black and Muslim protagonists, have been recognized as the best in children’s literature by Time Magazine, Read Across America, and NPR. With Jamilah’s expertise and collaboration, it is our plan to bring something new and exciting to the students and families of the greater Philadelphia area.
The story of Mommy’s Khimar is a simple one. A young Muslim girl takes one of her mother’s headscarves or khimars, and with the power of her imagination, uses the Khimar to dream about what she may become. Her sense of wonder and her belief that ‘anything is possible’ are the driving forces in the narrative, and building on her playful inventiveness, we will expand the story into a journey of self-discovery and self-actualization – elements that are quintessential to any Enchantment production. Using the art of movement and dance, music, masks and puppets, we will create the world of Mommy’s Khimar and immerse our audiences in the imagination of our main character.
Mommy’s Khimar will be the next in a series of original Enchantment shows that we have created under the title of ‘Enchantment Everywhere’ – a program we created in response to the shrinking arts budgets of schools in Philadelphia. The performance will be around 35 minutes long, the program will include a 15-minute talk back session, and the show will be fully produced, with original music, masks, puppets, costumes, set and lighting, all designed by professional Philadelphia-based artists. All of this will be packed into a van by our five actors and stage manager, and driven to schools all over the greater Philadelphia area, to be performed in auditoriums, classrooms, lobbies, hallways, and even outdoors. As is indicated by the name of the program – Enchantment Everywhere – we will bring this high-quality performance anywhere there are children and families.
Join the adventures of the fanciful and impulsive Peer Gynt, as he runs away on an epic journey and discovers the redeeming power of love. Ibsen’s famous drama, inspired by Norwegian folk tales, is the story of a young dreamer who, when confronted by life’s challenges, always escapes into fantasy. Peer frustrates his mother by constantly avoiding his work on the farm. He leaves behind his true love, Solveig, and his dying mother, Ase to travel the world and escape his responsibilities. When he encounters the Troll King he’s tempted to join him, but he doesn’t have the makings of a troll. He journeys across the seas and makes a fortune off of other’s misfortunes. Peer is always incapable of facing what he has done. He flirts with an Arabian Princess, becomes a false prophet and finally a disillusioned man. But at the very end he reunites with Solveig and finds redemption in her constant, pure and unselfish love. Ibsen’s masterful epic is brilliantly brought to life by the music of Edvard Grieg, from “The Hall of the Mountain King” to “Ase’s Death” and “Solveig’s Song,” the music captures the spirit, pathos and fantasy of this magical tale.
Music, like theater, has the power to illuminate and transform. As a theater company whose work is primarily movement-based, music supports and enriches our storytelling becoming another voice woven into the narrative. Our collaborations with symphony orchestras are inspired by a shared vision that by bringing together the magic of music and theater, greater possibilities are born. The orchestra will evoke Peer Gynt musically as Enchantment Theatre Company evokes it dramatically. It is our intention that our combined efforts will move the audience to discover this marvelous tale in a new and meaningful way.