A Caterpillar’s Tale
Periwinkle, a curious caterpillar, feels compelled to find out what happens when caterpillars climb up the Great Tree –and never return! He decides to follow grumpy Thistle, who seems to be next to do the climb, but Periwinkle encounters some big obstacles he must overcome, including evading the clutches of a black widow spider. Meanwhile, on the ground, Periwinkle’s worried “family,” Sepia and two boisterous babies, escape their own predators, vicious wasps and a praying mantis, along with a comical pair of hungry flies. Finally, Thistle emerges from his cocoon and Periwinkle learns much more than he ever dreamed possible, and that sometimes secrets are best kept secret. A screenplay adaptation of this play is an Official Selection of the 2022 San Diego International Kids' Film Festival.
Productions
Behind The Scenes
With Carlos Perez
What inspired you to write this play?
I often just cruise the internet researching various things and just learning on my own, when I came across a video of a caterpillar going through its metamorphosis into a butterfly and I thought it so miraculous that I thought it would be interesting to turn it into a story and thus “A Caterpillar’s Tale” was born.
What's your favorite part or line in the play? Why?
My favorite character is Periwinkle because he’s so curious and I think it’s important for all of us to be curious and to want to find out more and get answers to questions not yet answered.
Where did the characters come from? Are they based on people you know?
Actually no, they’re completely from my imagination. They just sort of developed and grew as I started writing the play. That’s actually the most enjoyable part of writing, the creation of the story and the characters and how they interact.
What did you try to achieve with this play?
I want young people (all people actually) to always be curious and to not be afraid of change. Change isn’t a bad thing, it’s a part of growing up. It may seem scary but everything turns out well in the end. And I hope to alleviate the fear that many have of the unknown, especially death. I don’t believe we should fear death, first, because it’s unavoidable and second, because I don’t believe that all is over when we die. There is something out there after death and I believe there is nothing to fear from it.
Do you have anything else you'd like to add?
I hope everyone will enjoy the play and its message of renewal and rebirth.