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The Journey Begins

by Lola Danielson, dramaturg Welcome to the magical world of Hans Christian Andersen’s The Nightingale. This fairytale is set in China during a time of emperors, generals and witches. It is a tale of friendship, overcoming pride and discovering what truly matters in life. My name is Lola Danielson, the dramaturg for The Nightingale, and I will be your guide as we navigate through the production process for the show. The directors for The Nightingale, Julia Ashworth and Kori Wakamatsu, wanted to create a unique experience for this Theatre for Young Audience production – a combination of East meets West. So, over the next few weeks, I will be sharing information with you about China and not only how it has influenced the world as we know it today, but also how China has been changed by the rest of the world. We will embark on a journey to discover more about the author, Hans Christian Andersen, and take a look at the actors’ and directors’ experiences when they traveled to China. Some of the actors will share pictures and stories from their trip, so keep following the posts for The Nightingale! It is my hope that as you embark on this journey through China with us that we can bring some of the wonderful and mysterious history of China to you, as well as some of those special feelings that only come when you encounter something new, rare and beautiful. Please join us as we take the winding journey on the wide and majestic Yangtze River, climb the Great Wall of China and embark into the fairytale land of Han’s Christian Andersen’s The Nightingale.  

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