Various jungle animals scheme to get their hands -- er, paws and claws -- on some delicious fruit in the spritely, kid-friendly play Before the People Came.
The story is a folk tale that comes from Africa by way of Nashville, Tenn., courtesy of the Amun Ra Theatre ensemble and playwright Jeff Obafemi Carr. The play, a "children's jazz choreopoem," is aimed at youngsters, but the audience yesterday afternoon had nearly as many grown-ups as it did children.
The five cast members take on multiple roles, with each playing at least two characters, using a mix of quick costume changes and clever costuming. For instance, Shonka Dukureh -- a native of Charlotte -- plays both an eagle and, when she spins around in her costume to show the back of her head, an owl.
The story is set in a time, as the title says, before people, as the animals of the African Plains must deal with a drought that has left them thirsty and hungry. "I've got me a notion to jump in the ocean," declares the hefty Elephant (Bret Grigsby Wilson).
They learn that there is a tree filled with juicy pears that could tide them over, but there's a problem: It belongs to the selfish liger (Elliott Winston Robinson, who doubles as the storyteller), a combination lion and tiger who jealously protects his property.
A trickster rabbit (Aleta Myles, who also plays a giraffe with the aid of some puppeteering) teams up with the eagle, the owl, the elephant, a monkey (Jeff Boyet) and a turtle (puppeteered by Boyet and voiced by Wilson), and they come up with a way to get around the liger.
The play is fast-paced and fun, with lively musical numbers and energetic performances all around, and a nice message about the importance of sharing. The costume designs are eye-catching and fun, and after the show, youngsters (and more than a few grown-ups as well) posed for pictures with members of the cast in the lobby.
■ Before the People Came will be performed at 1 and 3 p.m. today at the Benton Convention Center. For tickets, $10, call 723-7907 or visit www.nbtf.org.
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