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JONAH & JOANNA... And the Great Big Fish
By Marie Cooney Stories
Created by Marie G Cooney
Playing at
Show Description
A modern adaptation of Jonah and the Whale, features two young MN Twins running away to Superior, getting tossed overboard, preaching to an unlikely audience with lots of local humor and drama for all ages.
Genre and Content
Content Warnings
The creators say this show is appropriate for ages 7-11 and up
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Reviews for: JONAH & JOANNA... And the Great Big Fish
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DEVELOPMENTAL HISTORY
As a member of the Playwrights’ Center in Minneapolis, I first adapted the biblical story of JONAH, not for the stage, but for the sanctuary. The first time was for a small youth group, where Jonah was portrayed as an angry kid with a bit of a chip on his shoulder. However, once his anger was spent, the pendulum swung, and Jonah was equally kind and gentle, until angered again for his next lesson. Cast as a child, the story was more compelling than that of the angry, white, man I was seeing in most of the children’s books! Such was the birth of THE RELUCTANT PROPHET!
Then I had the opportunity to remount this script with a larger youth group! We blew itout of the water! JONAH & JOANNA, two young MN Twins, pun intended, affirmed that prophets,prophetess, and leaders of all kinds come in any gender and from all walks of life. Add in the Divine made human through the eyes and actions of the most delightful girl, lots of sailors, a Captain named Joppa, and spice it up with local comedy and drama, and The Reluctant Prophets was born!
JONAH and the TWO GREAT FISH by Mordicai Gerstein is by far the best children’s book I have read on this topic. The illustrations are magnificent! The author explains that in the Jewish tradition, many other legends and stories arise from Bible stories, and he combines these. I particularly enjoy that his illustrations include people from various faiths and nationalities, lots of animals and pets too. And any child can relate to not wanting to be laughed at by others.
Post- TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY (TBI), storytelling became part of my lifelong recovery process. Like Mordicai Gerstein’s Jonah, I didn’t know if I would forget my words, stutter, and if people would laugh at me. A whole new world eventually opened to me through storytelling. I walk through uncertainty daily while living with the many effects of a TBI, and thoughI might stumble, I do not fall. I am proud to say I have told stories locally, nationally, and internationally! JONAH & JOANNA… and the Great Big Fish is a direct result of being exposed to storytellers who love to Fracture Fairy Tales. These are the storytellers who love to re-imagine old stories and tell them through the eyes of a different character’s point of view, in an alternative setting or many other adaptations. I had the great honor of working with storyteller, Laura Packer, with this most current version!
Thanks to all who have been part of my developmental process as a storyteller and part of my TBI recovery!