From www.taylor.edu - Taylor University, integrating faith and learning

Readers' Theater - George MacDonald's "The Light Princess"

Taylor students enjoyed watching Taylor's president and first lady, and their peers, participate in a Readers' Theater for George MacDonald's The Light Princess this semester. Taylor University's C.S. Lewis Society presented the production. George MacDonald (1824-1905) was a Scottish author who had a very strong influence on C.S. Lewis and the Inklings.

In this fairytale, the king and queen have a daughter who has been cursed by the king's sister.  As a result, the princess has no physical gravity, nor can she be tempted to feel pain, sacrifice or love.  She is happiest swimming in the lake because she doesn't float away while in the water. When her evil aunt starts draining the lake, a prince who has fallen in love with the princess offers to sacrifice himself to save her.  It is his sacrifice that breaks the spell, giving her gravity of body and soul.

"He's (MacDonald) known as one of the best fairytale writers of the 19th century," said Dr. David Neuhouser, retired scholar-in-residence. "This particular one is his funniest one with a lot of puns."

Along with the "light" nature of the play, whether it was lack of gravity or use of puns, MacDonald's work had a deeper meaning as well. As First Lady Marylou Habecker stated:

"We laughed at the whimsical nature of the characters, especially the princess! She {Lissy (Nelson '09) McGarvey} was perfect for the part. [The Light Princess] had the deeper meaning of what Christ did for all of us, tucked into the script. For me, it made me want to go and get the book and read the entire story as MacDonald wrote it. Cara did a magnificent job of pulling out just the right parts and creating a delightful evening of Readers' Theater."

Student director Cara Strickland '10 worked with the president and first lady, Dr. and Mrs. Habecker, for a year and a half to ensure their participation. "We did Jay Kesler (president emeritus) for Aslan in the previous Readers' Theater," said Strickland. "We wanted to add someone who would be a big campus personality for that kind of draw."

When asked about their participation, Mrs. Habecker said, "We love being with students and being a part of what they are doing.  We were honored that she asked. Of all of the things that Gene [President Habecker] has done, he told me, 'This is a first! I have never been in a play of any kind!' We enjoyed it so much and thank Cara for creating this piece.  We hope that it is performed at many other venues."

Don't miss the opportunity to hear more about George MacDonald when Professor Dave Neuhouser gives his talk, "Louisa MacDonald: George's Tower of Strength" on November 13th, in the Flood Room of Zondervan Library, at 7:00 p.m.  All are welcome.

To learn more about C.S. Lewis and Friends, Taylor University's C.S. Lewis Society, please click here.