The Ice Wolf [drama review]

• Main Author: Hovasse, Nancy;
• Other Authors: Kraus, Joanna Halpert;
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 1999
• Subjects: Play review; Plays; Fantasy plays; Prejudices > Juvenile drama; Eskimos > Juvenile drama; Coleman; Jennings; eskimo*
• Online Access: http://contentdm.lib.byu.edu/cdm/ref/collection/CBPR/id/786

Kraus, Joanna Halpert, The Ice Wolf. 4+. This touching story teaches important lessons about prejudice, The Ice Wolf provokes questions about how we treat those who are different. The story begins with the birth of Anatou, an Eskimo whose pale hair and skin make her different from the rest of her tribe. Fearing the fair child to be an omen of evil, the villagers cast her out to fend for herself after the death of her loving parents. Alone in the world, Anatou runs to the forest and enlists the aid of the wood god, who turns her into a wolf. After some time in the forest, Anatou's curiosity leads her back to her village, where her pain and hatred erupt as she attacks those who had cast her out. Seeking revenge on the wolf, the villagers hunt her, threatening the animals who had sheltered her. In the end, the villagers and Anatou learn the price of hatred and the value of compassion. In a tremendously compact and well-written script, Kraus has created a play full of breathtaking images and extremely playable action. With the entire story of the play taking place in a small, isolated Eskimo village, Little Whale river, and the forest, the possibilities for stylized production elements are endless. Requiring a minimum cast of fifteen, the script offers wonderful opportunities for mask and movement work. Although the imagery in the script deserves full production values, the script is strong enough to allow a successful minimalist production approach as well. From: Jennings, Coleman A. Theatre for Young Audiences: 20 Great Plays for Children. St. Martin’s, 1998. ISBN 0-312-18194-9. $35.00. 604 pp. A Reviewed by Nancy Hovasse Children's Book and Play Review, September/October 1999