The Ice River

Journeying to India, the Monk Tang and his disciples Monkey King, the pig Ju Bajie and Shajing have just found a quiet temple to rest in when they learn that a powerful river monster has been demanding all the food in the village, year after year. In this episode of the 400-year-old epic Journey to the West, Monk Tang’s disciples squabble, compete, and ultimately cooperate as they search for the surprising secret of the monster's formidable power.  The Jimmy Zhao Chinese ensemble uses traditional Chinese instruments including er-hu, guzheng, flute, and drums to accentuate Madeleine and Margaret's intricate and acrobatic puppetry.

Students watching The Ice River will gain an understanding of Chinese culture, traditional Chinese music, and character development in stories. No matter how different Monkey King and the pig Ju Ba-Jie look and act, they share character traits that we all have. The stories teach us civic lessons -- and that our culture is immeasurably enriched by those of other countries.

This performance of The Ice River reinforces classroom work in:

• Reading Standards in the MA Frameworks on English Language Arts beginning at Grade 2, especially regarding Key Ideas and Details and Craft and Structure;
• Themes of universality and intercultural connection in History and Social Sciences Frameworks;
• Connecting musical ideas to different cultural settings in the Frameworks for Music.

Each performance includes a demonstration of the puppets and instruments.