Under the gentle hum of an ancient myth, the stage at Trike Theatre will soon burst into life with its next performance, “A Bucket of Blessings.”

The production will debut September 12 at the Thaden School Performing Arts Center, bringing a lively piece of Indian mythology to audiences of all ages. Children and adults alike won’t just watch a story unfold, they’ll become part of it, on the stage with the rest of the cast, as they embark on a magical journey deep into the heart of India’s mountains.

With the help of his cast, Artistic Director Fran Sillau has created an immersive and culturally diverse experience for the Northwest Arkansas community.

According to Trike Theatre’s website, the drama, based on an Indian myth, follows Monkey, a character living in the highlands of India, on a mission to find a mythical peacock capable of bringing rain to her drought-stricken jungle. The narrative is about endurance, community and the ability of tiny gestures to make a great difference—a globally applicable concept.

This play focuses on engaging the youngest audiences, ages zero to five. Rather than sitting in typical theater seats, children will be encouraged to join the performers on stage, moving, dancing and participating as the tale unfolds. This participatory technique puts the young audience leading the storyline, including them in the action.

Karthika Mohan Sheela, who plays the role of Peacock and Elephant, works mostly as a trained dancer, and said this is her first experience with theater.

“It’s a great opportunity, and especially that it’s for children is what attracted me,” Sheela said. “So to make kids happy, it’s a big task. If we can do that, we can interact with them, make them smile and make them happy; that’s what I love to do.”

The “pay what you can” ticketing option for children under 18 demonstrates Trike Theatre’s dedication to accessibility, which is part of the theater’s aim to make the arts accessible to all in Northwest Arkansas.

Sillau said people’s dollars have to be stretched these days for many reasons and Trike Theatre doesn’t want any cost prohibiting people from coming to the theater. A respect for ethnic authenticity was also crucial to his approach of adapting “A Bucket of Blessings,” which he did in collaboration with the Rave Cultural Foundation.

Sillau and the Trike Theatre crew have taken care not to “westernize” the play because they recognize the value of conveying stories from other cultures.

“I’m not from India, and I think it’s really important when you’re telling stories that aren’t of your culture, not to perceive to know what it is and how you’re going to tell it,” Sillau said.

The cast reflects this too, with all of the actors representing Indian countries and communities. Sillau’s collaborative approach enabled performers to contribute their own thoughts and experiences to the production, resulting in a fuller, more realistic depiction of the narrative.

Balu Rajagopal, who plays the role of Musician in the production, said Sillau always welcomes the ideas that the cast provides and the improvisations that they make in rehearsal.

“We are complementing each other when we’re doing the rehearsals, and we can do the same kind of coordination and we can perform with the same kind of enthusiasm in front of the kids during our performances,” Rajagopal said.

Premkumari Balasubramaniyam, affectionately known as Prema, plays Monkey and said her role is not the main character, but that the production relies on all the characters and audience members for the the play to work.

Reflecting on a scene from the play where the cast raises their hands and thanks the sky, Prema said she hopes that concept of thanking everything we get in life sticks with the kids after the curtains close.

“The two things I hope they take away are to thank nature and be grateful for whatever nature is giving us,” Prema said. “The other thing is everything and anything that we get or that happens is a blessing in disguise.”

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FAQ

“A Bucket of Blessings”

WHEN — 6:30 p.m. Sept. 12 and 4:30 and 6:30 p.m. Sept. 14

WHERE — Thaden School Performing Arts Center, 805 S. Main St., Bentonville

COST — Adults: $15. Under 18: Pay what you can.

INFO — triketheatre.org/childrens-theatre-plays