February Premiere
Two Weekends Only!
February 19 - 28
Cast
Journey through nearly 140 years of Poulsbo history – with the help of three mischievous Norwegian trolls! Beginning with the arrival of Norwegian settlers in the1880s and continuing through the present day, the story follows the people who built Little Norway while three invisible trolls -- Glog, Glue, and Oobleck – secretly nudge history in surprising directions. Along the way come pioneers, solders, pastors, city leaders, the Suquamish people, entrepreneurs, wartime challenges, community celebrations, and the growing pains of a remarkable town. Underscored by more than thirty musical adaptations drawn from the beloved music of Edvard Grieg, Poulsbo Plays combines history, comedy, fantasy, and heartfelt storytelling into a theatrical experience unlike any other.
Notes from the Author, John Ackenhusen:
Poulsbo Plays: A Musical Romp Through Hysterical Poulsbo was written in celebration of the City of Poulsbo on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of its Jewel Box Theatre. This historical fiction describes how Poulsbo’s Norwegian founders unwittingly brought trolls to Poulsbo and describes, to the tunes of Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg, how those trolls helped Poulsbo to grow up. It revels in both the mayhem and the help that those trolls provided over the years, including the new spelling of “Poulsbo,” the Lutheran church, the preparation of lutefisk, and the trolls' hi-jinx in the mirth and poignancy of helping Poulsbo cope with change.
When I first moved to Poulsbo, I was fascinated by its complex Norwegian history, music, buildings, and customs, and being unfamiliar with their origins, made up stories to explain these things. That led to the research of Poulsbo’s history and the melding of those stories, actual history and Grieg’s music to arrive at Poulsbo Plays: A Musical Romp Through Hysterical Poulsbo.
Presented with permission from the author.