Gavilan College Theatre’s fall production is an original adaptation of Just So Stories originally written by Rudyard Kipling (The Jungle Books). The original stories were edited and adapted for the stage by director Dr. John Lawton Haehl and his students in Theatre 2 a/b.

The play is performed for the children of public elementary schools. There are seven different stories told throughout the play. In the play, children will see the actors portraying many different animals, all ranging from cats and dogs to hippopotamuses and whales.

The stories are fun-filled and help kids learn moral lessons.“They get to laugh while they learn,” said Cheryle Honeriah who plays The Rhino in the story How the Rhinoceros got his Skin. “It’s the first play for most of the kids,” Honeriah said.

Gavilan students performing in the play say they get a kick out of watching the audience reaction. “They have a lot of fun with it because the stories are a lot of fun,” said Tamara Mallare who narrates and plays "The Cat who walks by himself."

The stories are told through acting, narration and puppetry. “Everybody has a puppet,” said Sam Burks who plays the Baboon in The Elephants Child. The children clearly respond to puppetry. “They (children) all say ooooh when the whale puppet comes on stage,” said Honeriah. 

After the play, on Friday performances, Haehl and the actors participate in what is called the “Talk-Back.”  This allows the kids to ask the cast and crew questions about the play. “They get very excited,” said Honeriah. “They are fascinated with the puppets.”

The "Baboon," Burks agrees. “Most of the questions start with ‘how did you make...”

The answers are taken home in the minds of children.