THE OLIVE LAKE
A Chinese Fairy Tale

"Why are we so poor when I work so hard?" Unable to get this question out of his mind, the young hero sets out on a journey to the Spirit of the Western Range. On the way he meets a lady whose daughter can't speak, an old man whose beloved orange tree is barren, and an enormous serpent condemned to stay at the same spot for a thousand years. "I will bring your problem to the Spirit," the boy promises. Finally, the troubled characters he encounters, and the boy too are all transformed by this great journey. A personal and imaginative adaptation, movement, live music, colorful costumes, sets, and puppets, combine to create a touching, magical theater experience. "We were enchanted." Arden, Jenkintown merchant "Magical." Deborah, local acting teacher "It is neat how one person can transform herself into many different people." Eric, community college student "The music really tied the production together and helped forge an identity for each character . . . what I especially liked about your script adaptation was the way you peeled away the sugar-coating of the original fairy tale. The anger, frustration, and feat came across boldly and honestly." Christine, community college student "I liked when the serpent came out from under the river." Jahiem, 8 years old "The old man got so excited about showing off his orange tree. And the Spirit of the Western Range was spooky. I liked that the boy had a good heart." Sarah, 9 years old "The best parts were when the old man found the gold in the lake, and when the serpent turned into a dragon." Shirlene, 12 years old

Copyright ©2020 Janet Fishman. All rights reserved.