New Releases by James Still

Play script by James Still. Adapted from the book by John Ruskin. Part fairy tale, part Dickens -- a mysterious story that explores how greed and cruelty threaten to destroy the Golden River and surrounding valley and how kindness (not magic) finally restores it to its natural beauty. Cast of 6 actors to play 16 characters. Two suggestive interiors, one exterior. Can tour.

In a prologue where an insensitive tour guide proudly points out nuclear reactors, complex highway systems and industrial technology, an old man angrily protests the Golden River's current environmental ruin. Although most of the tourists dismiss the old man, one young boy lingers and proves to be a skeptical but active audience for the old man's tale of a young boy who long ago conquered his brothers' cruelties and saved the Golden River through his compassion. The heart of the play is the boy's adventure story that includes surprising characters such as the Southwest Wind and the King who turns the evil brothers into Dark Stones. The original production at the California Theatre Center was set in the American Southwest in the 1800s and theatrically used native American rituals, sounds and images.