Explore with Xavi, Joseph, and Monsieur de Maistre
in “Journey Around My Bedroom”
Photo by New Ohio Theatre

Journey Around My Bedroom is virtual children’s theater at its most charmant. Inspired by the book, “A Journey Around My Room” by 18th-century Frenchman Xavier de Maistre, Journey Around My Bedroom takes the audience on an adventure inside one single room using puppets, music, and one extraordinary aeronautical machine.

Journey Around My Bedroom begins with Xavi (Ashley Kristeen Vega), a young girl living in New York City right now (aka pandemic times), who just wants to get to the moon in her video game. Her mom (Laura Kay, also the narrator), exasperated by all the screen time her daughter has been getting being stuck at home, finally coaxes her to bed. No sooner does she settle in with her dog, Joseph, than a mysterious figure appears in her bedroom. French explorer Xavier de Maistre (Starr Kirkland) has crash landed his Amazing Flying Contraption (patent pending) to teach Xavi all about Room Travel.

Split screen with de Maistre, Xavi, and Starr Kirkland interacting with audience
Photo by New Ohio Theatre

The play, adapted by Dianne Nora and directed, is performed on Zoom with completely voluntary audience participation. Director Jaclyn Biskup pulls off a grand technical achievement as none of the performers are in the same room. Instead, a split screen and duplicate dioramas and puppets (marvelously done by Myra G. Reavis) are used to approximate a continuous set and characters that are manipulated by all three performers.

Music is incorporated in dynamic ways, as original songs by Hyeyoung Kim are sung by the characters as well as some members of the audience as part of a sing-along. The children (and their adults, of course) get a few other chances to participate at specific times throughout the 35-minute run. Otherwise, it’s cameras and microphones off while the show goes on.

Xavier’s Amazing Flying Contraption (patent pending)
Photo by New Ohio Theatre

Journey Around My Bedroom is a very sweet and charming way to convey the message that, even though we’re all cooped up in our homes, we can still find ways to travel using our imaginations.

Journey Around My Bedroom is presented by New Ohio Theatre for Young Minds live through January 10, 2021 and then on demand January 11 to February 11, 2021.