By Emily Roddrick, Marketing And Public Relations Director
Fantasy Playhouse Children’s Theater & Academy
Sometimes inspiration comes from two monkeys on Jefferson Street, and that’s exactly what happened to Fantasy Playhouse Children’s Theater & Academy’s (FPCTA) Artistic Director, Stephen Tyler Davis.
One day when getting reacquainted with Huntsville, he asked his good friend and FPCTA super-volunteer, Joanna White, “What are those two monkeys hanging from the 106 Jefferson in downtown Huntsville?” White was shocked that Davis had grown up in Huntsville and was unaware of the history of the two brave Monkeynauts who were the first Americans to complete a successful mission into outer space – Baker & Able!
A quick history of Baker & Able: Baker, a 1lb squirrel monkey, and Able, a rhesus monkey, were the first American primates to complete a successful mission into outer space. Able, unfortunately, passed due to surgery complications after her return to Earth.
Miss Baker would become somewhat of a celebrity after her return to Earth. After a brief stint in Florida, Miss Baker moved to Huntsville, AL at the US Space & Rocket Center where she would settle until her passing in 1984. A memorial for Miss Baker is located at the US Space & Rocket Center. Families still leave bananas on her memorial in honor of her and Able.
With FPCTA’s 63rd season encompassing the theme of ‘Brave Stories, Brave Spaces,’ Davis knew that telling the story of these famous Monkeynauts would be the perfect ending to the season. During the writing process, Davis consulted with community members who were close to Miss Baker and the US Space & Rocket Center to get a first-hand account of who Miss Baker was and what her legacy meant to Rocket City. Using firsthand accounts, historical texts, and personal touches, Davis created what would be the last production of FPCTA’s 63rd season, Space Monkeys! The Adventures of Baker & Able – a love letter to the Rocket City that highlights just what can be accomplished when you set your sights on the moon and beyond.
This fresh new script is fun, the history is true, and the cast is huge! There are over 50 actors cast, but when Miss Baker’s origin story calls for 26 squirrel monkeys, you’ve got to have 26 squirrel monkeys! Other roles include hilarious interpretations of real-life historical characters like fellow Monkeynaut Ham & George. George is Miss Baker’s betrothed monkey husband who lived with her in Huntsville for many years.
Space Monkeys is told through the eyes of SPAMO, a fictional secret space society created by the Huntsville kids of today. Every full moon they convene in their treehouse for space missions and this month, they seek to induct a new member. A slight problem though, the new inductee has never heard of America’s famous Space Monkeys! Blast off into space with the SPAMO kids as they retell the story of Baker & Able through moments in history, music, dance, lasers, special effects, and animated projections!
Join FPCTA this May for a story that will bring all generations of Huntsville together! Space Monkeys is one weekend only, May 9-12, 2024 performed at the Von Braun Center Playhouse.
Sensory Friendly Performance is on Saturday, May 11th @10AM. Tickets are on sale now at FantasyPlayhouse.org
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