In “The Steadfast Tin Soldier,” Chicago actor Adeoye plays a tin soldier who never gives up.
“The toys come to life after the humans are away," Adeoye said, "and he finds himself with a group of other toys, and he sees a ballerina and he falls in love with her.”
The tin soldier only has one leg.
“We could say differently abled because the soldier doesn’t feel like he has a disability,” Adeoye explains. “He learns how to move in the world in his condition, and he learns how to act and respond and to overcome the challenges he faces.”
Lookingglass Theatre Director and Ensemble Member Mary Zimmerman says adapting the story for stage proved a bit challenging, because there were only two sentences of dialogue in the original story.
So she decided to make the production dialogue-free, “and just make it so visually rewarding and blossoming in every moment that it’s telling the story without language."
Zimmerman goes on to say, ”Just seeing that little soldier make his way in the world, it’s inspiring."
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“The Steadfast Tin Solder” is on stage at Lookingglass Theatre Company through Jan. 8.
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