2011 RSO Performance of Wicked Jack
Being a native of North Carolina, I love the colorful folktales of Appalachia that have been passed on from generation to generation. “Meaner than a rattlesnake” Wicked Jack was one of my favorites. Some say this folktale explains the origin of Halloween jack-o-lanterns! I “dug around’ to find as many retellings of this folktale as I could find, and ended up pulling from three different versions for my adaptation.
Wicked Jack is my first published book, and you can imagine how thrilled I was when I heard the wonderfully talented Will Hillenbrand was to illustrate my story!
But it gets even better! Will and I wanted to bring the story to life on stage for student audiences. In 2011, we collaborated with the Richmond Symphony Orchestra (RSO) to create a multi-media telling of Wicked Jack. Flutist Evelien Woolard with the RSO created a score for woodwind quintet, which performed it live on stage along with me reading the story to Will’s giant projected illustrations.
We are so excited to bring Wicked Jack back to life again on the stage of the Richmond Civic Hall. And the best part is the date – Halloween! Friday, October 31, at 1:00 – 2:00 p.m.
Created for grades 4-7, the program celebrates the union of visual art, literature and music. The performance is followed by a question and answer session with the creators, Will, Evelyn and me. If your school or home school group would like more information about the Wicked Jack performance, please email rso@richmondsymphony.org.
2011 Wicked Jack Performance Photo Gallery
