52 pgs. 8 female, 15 male +ensemble (doubling is possible)
Originally produced in CTC's 2004-2005 season
Audience Recommendation: 6+
In the Heavenly Palace, the Jade Emperor and the Jade Empress are holding a feast. Suddenly there's a NEWS FLASH! A monkey has hatched from a rock, declared himself King of Flower-Fruit Mountain, and is raising a major racket! He is shaking the foundations of heaven and earth. He has even traveled to the underworld and erased his death in the book of the dead. In other words, he is a royal pain, and he is immortal!
The Jade Emperor sends his armies to capture the Monkey King, but the wily Monkey escapes and ends up in a showdown with Buddha himself! They make a bargain: if Monkey wins he can rule heaven and earth. If not - he does whatever Buddha tells him to do. He loses, and thus begins his adventures on earth.
The Buddha sends the Monkey King on a mission. He is to accompany the honest, mild-mannered Monk Tang on a pilgrimage - an epic quest across China to the mountains of India in search of the Sacred Scrolls. Monk Tang christens the Monkey King, Sun Wu-Kong, and together they set off on their journey.
They are assigned two traveling companions right away: a pig, Ba-jie, and a carp, Sha-sen, both of whom have been sent down to earth after causing trouble in the Heavenly Realm. As with every great quest story, from The Lord of the Rings to The Wizard of Oz, the journey tests the character of the four travelers. To complete the journey successfully, each must learn to recognize his weaknesses and understand their strengths. This is especially true for the mega-mischievous Monkey King, Sun Wu Kong. He's brave enough to battle tigers and bandits, fast enough to cross the earth in a single somersault and magical enough to morph into a million shapes. But before he can truly help his master, Monk Tang, he must learn to harness his powers - to balance bravery with compassion, speed and magic with restraint and understanding. Together they successfully pass through many perils - bandits, greedy monks, a hungry skeleton, a land of women (no boys allowed!!), and a burning mountain and arrive at the Spirit Hill where the Sacred Scrolls are kept. Having proved worthy companions to Monk Tang, Buddha welcomes Ba jie and Sha-sen back into the Heavenly Realm. Sun Wu Kong, the magical, mischievous Monkey King, armed now not only with superpowers but with maturity and wisdom, accompanies his master, Monk Tang, into the Golden Temple to claim the Sacred Scrolls.
“The Monkey King is a beautiful synthesis of stylistic influences, from dance and Beijing Opera to cartoons, from martial arts to old-fashioned stage hamming.” –Minneapolis Star Tribune
