Trumbull Hall Troupe

Underland is the story of Alex, a school bully who makes fun of an awkward girl’s science project - in which she says that even the tiniest creatures have their own important existence. He falls asleep during detention and finds himself shrunken to the size of an ant - living among a bevy of insects and protozoa, and at the mercy of the (Drag) Queen Bee - whose spelling bee he must win if he wants to get home. These performances of Underland were performed at Richmond Middle School.

Love At First Bite is the story of a vampire family that moves to a small town — and what happens when the vampire son falls in love with the principal’s daughter, who runs a school blood drive. His arrival there shakes up the school where, it seems, everyone’s hiding a secret about who they really are. It’s a testament to celebrating differences among us! This performance of Love at First Bite was held at Richmond Middle School in 2010.

SUPER is about a superhero called Wonderboy, who when faced with danger channels a random superpower. Sometimes it’s super strength or flight — but sometimes it’s making it rain marshmallows. Frustrated with his inconsistency, the people of Townville become jaded, and Wonderboy stops believing in himself. He decides to call it quits, and throws his outfit in the trash. It’s found by Enid, who with her friend Derwin, is trying to save the planet as a teen activist. Their passion makes them the butt of jokes for the popular kids — including Victoria, the queen bee of the school, and Zack, her jock boyfriend (who Enid secretly has a crush on). When Enid learns Zack’s secret — that he has a fanboy zeal for Wonderboy — she decides to take the discarded superhero suit. How much easier would it be to save the world…and maybe to get Zack to notice her? When Victoria and Derwin, jilted by their significant others, team up to form a super villain team and create a giant mutant dog to terrorize the town and flush out Wonderboy, Enid realizes that simply because she’s wearing the suit, others – including Zack – expect her to save the day. Meanwhile, Wonderboy is trying to acclimate to ordinary life after realizing he has no marketable skills. He winds up getting a job at a theme park playing…himself. Everyone at the park who plays a fairytale character is there for the paycheck only – except for Tinkerbell, a delusional girl who is afraid of EVERYTHING and still believes in superheroes. When she discovers Wonderboy’s secret, she begs him to take her on as a sidekick. When he refuses, she sets out to prove to him she’s brave enough for the task — putting her in danger at the hands of the super villains. This spurs the real Wonderboy to reclaim his identity, and to train his motley crew of fairytale characters into a band of superheroes to help save Tink. What ensues is a tangle of mistaken identity, bravery in the most unlikely places, and the important message that a real hero is someone who makes others believe in themselves. Playwrights : Kyle van Leer, Jake van Leer, Jodi Picoult Composer : Ellen Wilber (The song “Super” was composed by Jake van Leer) Lyrics : Jodi Picoult

Play Time is about a corporate executive who – after buying a toy shop so she can tear it down to build a parking lot – wakes up to find herself the size of a toy, and desperate to find her way back home before the demolition occurs. Along the way she meets some unforgettable characters: including Queen Frostine from Candyland, a stuffed puppy that longs to be real, Barbie & Ken, Bratz dolls, a Jose in the Box, green army men, a Betsy-Wetsy doll, a ballerina in a jewelry box and the toy soldier who loves her from afar, Raggedy Ann – a snarky villainess who has somehow lost her heart – and many more. Play Time was performed at Richmond Middle School in Hanover in November 2011.