Groundbreaking 'Morris Micklewhite and the Tangerine Dress' premieres at CTC

Morris Micklewhite is ready for his meteor light.

It's been almost 10 years since "Morris Micklewhite and the Tangerine Dress" was published, winning the Stonewall Children and Young Adult Literature Honor Award in 2015 and further opening the door for stories around self-expression and gender identity.

Burned by a religious activist in Iowa, "Micklewhite" paved the way for such titles as "Pink Is for Boys" and "Jacob's New Dress."

On Saturday, the story will break new ground when the stage adaptation of "Micklewhite" premieres as a 55-minute one-act at Minneapolis' Children's Theatre Company.

"When I first read [the book], I was immediately intrigued by the delightful cover art, which showed a spaceship, a quirky and unusual planet, and a little boy in a bright orange dress," said CTC artistic director Peter Brosius. "I loved the celebration of imagination, the tenderness of a child's exploration and the innate curiosity of this young boy."

Brosius was so taken by the innocence, whimsy and joyful self-expression in this work by author Christine Baldacchino and illustrator Isabelle Malenfant that he commissioned New York-based playwright Juliany Taveras to adapt it.

How does one turn a book with about 10 pages into a 50-page script? By leaning into the sensory richness of both the text and the illustrations, according to Taveras.

Aimed at theatergoers ages 4 and up, "Micklewhite" centers on a titular kid who is powerfully creative. Morris dreams about being an astronaut, plays with elephants and tigers, and loves to play dress-up and to put on a tangerine dress.

His classmates don't immediately understand him; boys are not supposed to wear dresses. Taunted by his classmates and isolated from them, Morris creates a puzzle and a space adventure that capture their attention. With his engaging work, he helps to broaden his classmates' minds.

"Morris is drawn to this dress because of the sensory experience of it," Taveras said. "He loves the cool sounds it makes — the way the fabric swishes — and it feels good. The color is vibrant, and it reminds him of things he loves, like the sunset and his mother's hair."

"Micklewhite" lands at a time of heightened awareness around bullying and the policing of gender roles. That's a conversation that's implicit in the work but not one that Taveras engages.

"Young people are so present and grounded in their bodies, they have a lot to teach" old heads, the playwright said. "It's only as we get older that we start to develop this self-conscious part of the brain that's useful for some things but a hindrance for others."

Chicago-based director Heidi Stillman, who once worked as a preschool teacher, said that she is excited to stage this show with a cast of five youngsters and only one adult, Joy Dolo.

"I love watching kids play because their imaginations are so huge," Stillman said. "They can infuse simple objects with magic just with their imagination. That's what we do as theater-makers all day."

To wit, her vision for the show includes handmade props and puppets. The costume designer has created a cardboard space helmet for Morris, who is played by two actors: Blaine eighth-grader Scout Groshong and Minneapolis sixth-grader Mathias Brinda.

"Everybody knows that he likes to dress up, but Morris really likes storytelling," Groshong said.

"Morris shifts reality with his imagination," Brinda added. "He sees and feels the world in a different way."

"He's a very curious kid who happens to be addicted to apples," Groshong said. "What I like most about him is that he isn't scared to show us who he is."

Brinda notes a line when Morris points out that not all boy elephants have tusks.

Morris transforms worlds with his adventures, his dreaming and simply by being who he is, Groshong continued. He "changes as a person, and changes other people, because of his thoughts."

Brinda offered a concrete example that may have import beyond the play.

"The sidekicks, bullies — these people never thought about him in a dress," Brinda said. "But after he brings it up, then they're like, why not. He's bringing color into places where there was no color before."