Br’er Rabbit and Other Trickster Tales inspires self-reliance and creative problem solving on a humorous and magical journey with wily creatures who teach us folk wisdom, and life lessons in this collection of Trickster Tales from around the world.
Br’er Rabbit, Br’er Alligator & Trouble (Southern United States)
This story features B’rer Rabbit and B’rer Alligator. In the story, B’rer Alligator says he has never known any trouble in his life and he is curious as to what it is. B’rer Rabbit brings trouble to him, and B’rer Alligator not only gets a new coat, but learns a valuable lesson: “Never trouble trouble unless trouble troubles you.”
Tio Conejo (Venezuela, bilingual)
This is the story of B’rer Rabbit’s Mexican cousin, Tio Conejo “Uncle Rabbit.” Although Tio Conejo is smarter than all the other animals, he also is smaller and often picked on by the other, larger animals. He does not like being smaller so appeals to the great maker in the sky to make him bigger. The great maker in the sky agrees to make Tio Conejo bigger if he can pass a test; he is to capture three ferocious animals in one day. Tio Conejo accomplishes the task and is rewarded by the great maker but does not quite receive the reward he had hoped he would receive.
Raven and the Man who Sits on the Tides (Pacific North West)
In this comic tale Raven tries to convince the Man Who Sits on the Tide (the archetypal bureaucrat) to let the tide go out so everyone can get some food. But of course the man’s job is to sit on the tide and Raven has a heck of a time teaching an old dog new tricks. Raven is clever though and eventually wins the day.
How Kwaku Ananse Gained a Kingdom of Knowledge from a Kernel of Corn (Ghana, West Africa)
This is the story of Ananse the spider and the sky god named Nyame. Nyame (in a bad mood), challenges the creatures to a test and whoever passes the test will receive all of the wisdom of the world. The creatures are afraid to accept the challenge as they do not know what will happen if they fail. Nyame mistakenly thinks that Ananse has accepted his challenge and presents Ananse with a single kernel of corn and instructs him to somehow use that one kernel of corn to bring all of the people from the Kingdom beyond the River back with him. He must pass through four villages before he reaches his final destination. At each village he uses trickery and finally is able to bring the entire Kingdom beyond the River to Nyame. He is granted all the wisdom of the universe. Though Ananse is just a spider he is able to use his brains and his imagination to complete the task.
Br’er RabbitTechnical Rider B’rer Rabbit Learning Guide Book a ShowPromotional Photos
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Acknowledgements
Photos by David Bazemore. Directed by Sigfrido Aguilar, Michael Katz, Joseph Velasco, James Donlon, Eva Magyar and Boxtales Theatre Company. Written by Boxtales Theatre Company. Masks by Ann Chevrefils, Lesley Finlayson and Lindsay Rust. Lighting by Tony Mangini.