Tallahatchie River Youth production: Robin Hood

[su_quote cite=”(An early printed Robin Hood ballad)”]Lythe and listin, gentilmen, That be of frebore blode; I shall you tel of a gode yeman, His name was Robyn Hode. -A Gest of Robyn Hode[/su_quote]

Robin Hood, in one form or another, has been inhabiting the woods of England since the late 14th century, living his adventures in oral tales, ballads and eventually in written stories. He’s had myriad homes, Loxley, Wakefield and York among them; he has been called Robert (Robin/Robyn) Hode, Hude and Hood. He may have been a farmer, a criminal, or a loyal supporter of King Richard the Lionheart. Most popularly, perhaps, the tale is tied to the period of the 1190’s when King Richard was away from England fighting the Third Crusade, though the only king mentioned in the earliest written tale is “King Edward,” with no stipulation as to which of six possible Edwards between 900 and the early 1300’s that might have been.

But for three nights, at least, he and his band were in New Albany, courtesy of the Tallahatchie River Players Youth and their many supporters. The production was directed by Renee Reid and Asst. Director Christy Grant, with the help of three student directors: Ishmon Foster, Shelby Grant, and Ellie Fitts. Thanos Kalimeris, owner of Mid-South Kung Fu Arnis Academy, choreographed the fight scenes and taught the actors to fight safely to add authenticity to the scenes. East Union archery coach, Trey Humphreys, taught Robin and Kaspar to use bows, so that they could shoot “live” for the archery contest.

Costumes, props and scenery were well done, adding much to the evening. Perhaps most importantly, the audience could clearly hear almost every word spoken by the actors. Cine acoustics and voice projection by the actors worked together to produce a “listening experience” that many amateur productions lack.

The legend of Robin Hood has entertained audiences world-wide for over 600 years, and we expect to enjoy new versions in the years to come, just as we expect to enjoy the future growth of many of the young TRP actors.