The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane

Saturday afternoon was the perfect opportunity to round up family and friends and join Frostburg’s Theatre and Dance community in the presentation of The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, adapted by Dwayne Hartford from the book by Kate DiCamillo. This is a show perfect for young children, but is still able to resonate with those who are beyond their tween years.

The stage is set in a humble wood walled home with trunks, rocking chairs, a bookshelf, and an assortment of props used throughout the show to set scenes throughout Edwards adventures. Edward, by the way, is a rabbit doll made from china. His story began when he was gifted to a young girl for her birthday, and she bestowed upon him the name of Edward Tulane. Although Edward is a lifeless doll, his inner thoughts were performed by Connor McCabe, and he gives the audience an inside look at who this rabbit really is. And that so happens to be a very self-centered, prideful narcissist who is obsessed with his appearance, not what you would expect from such a delicate rabbit. However, his main character flaw is his inability to love. He is so focused on himself that he has no propensity to develop an emotional connection to anyone around him. However, that will soon change when Edward listens to a story of a princess who refuses to love. She denies all suitors who come to her and is only concerned with herself. Then, to one man she finally says yes only to steal his ring and run away with it. She is later killed by a witch for her evil ways, thus beginning the journey into the importance of love.

Then, Edward is taken aboard a cruise ship for a family vacation. He is soon captured by bullies and thrown overboard to sink into the depths of the ocean. For 297 days Edward would wait in the depths wondering only of his appearance and his misplaced pocket watch. Then, a fisherman grabs him in his net one day and brings him home where he is renamed to be Suzanna. In this home, Edward learns all about the stars and eats dinner every night at the table. The fisherman helped Edward from the sea, and he subsequently ended up being helpful to the family allowing them to grieve over the loss of their youngest son. However, their daughter soon arrives to take Edward away and throw him into the dump.

Edward, buried in heaps of trash and trying to look at the stars his past owner had once taught him, is found once again by a dog named Lucie and her owner, Bull. Bull is a homeless man who wanders the railroad with Lucie and now Edward, who was renamed as Malone. In the homeless community, Edward came to be quite an idol, the rabbit doll of china who is good at remembering.

While he lay there, he recited the names of the family members separated from parents, he looked to the stars, thinking of Andromeda and Pegasus, and he thought back to his first owner, Abilene, all in the past now and leaving Edward completely alone. However, Edward is once again discovered and named Clyde, Clyde the rabbit scarecrow. But since he is a doll of china, he isn’t exactly an object that would strike fear into any crow. Luckily though, that gig didn’t last too long. A farmhand swiped Edward away and brought him home to his ailing sister to befriend. The young girl decided to name Edward Jangles, and they become great friends. Her brother soon turns Edward into a marionette who would dance and dance for the little girl to make her laugh. Nonetheless, the girl was still getting sicker and sicker, and one day Edward’s dancing was no longer making her laugh. That night Edward listened to the girl struggle to breath and eventually lose her battle against her body. All the while, he was wishing there was something he could do to help her.

The girls brother took Edward/Jangles on the road as a marionette performer. He was a street artist living off of donations. But one night, he hadn’t made nearly enough to cover the cost of his dinner, and Edward’s head very quickly met the edge of the diner table as a result. During this time of what would be death for Edward, he walks to his original home. He is able to meet all of his past owners, all the people who have been affected by Edward and surprisingly affected him. He speaks to each person and acknowledges their importance and his feelings for them; he dons a pair of golden wings to join the young ill girl he’d lost. While Edward is ready to fly into the stars forever, there is yet even more to his story.

When Edward had been smashed in that diner, his owner had collected all of those little pieces to bring to a doll shop where all those little pieces were joined together once more. Edward is restored fully to his original splendor and displayed on a shelf for purchase. And he sits there, for months and months and months. Edward sees other dolls come and go but the lines that now shape Edwards face are a deterrent for many customers. Then, after years in the shop a woman arrives looking for something for her daughter. That woman happens to be Abilene, the original owner who named this rabbit of china Edward Tulane, and with that, “there was a rabbit who found his way home.”

This production was beautiful to watch and enjoyable for all ages. All of the actors were extremely involved, playing many roles throughout the show. The background characters are truly the actors that construct the world of a scene and allow the audience to full engage in what is going on. Through the funny scenes and the solemn scenes, the cast and crew delivered a performance that will pull on your heartstrings and make you appreciate the ones you love.

The journey of Edward Tulane taught the audience that even a heart of the most breakable kind can learn to love, to lose, and to love again. The Bottom Line commends the actors, tech crew, and production team for putting together another amazing production.