A Squirrel with Superpowers Takes Center Stage at Wheelock Family Theatre
Theatrical adaptation of Kate DiCamillo’s award-winning novel Flora & Ulysses runs from February 15 - March 9
Ulysses, played by Chris Stahl (left), is a squirrel rescued by Flora (Livie Ketri) in a scene from Wheelock Family Theatre’s production of Flora & Ulysses, based on Kate DiCamillo’s best-selling children’s book. The production runs from February 2 through March 9.
A Squirrel with Superpowers Takes Center Stage at Wheelock Family Theatre
Theatrical adaptation of Kate DiCamillo’s award-winning novel Flora & Ulysses opens February 15
This article was originally published in BU Today on February 13, 2025. By John O’Rourke. Photos by Cydney Scott
EXCERPT
A near-tragic accident that has unexpected consequences hardly sounds like a promising premise for a sweet and funny story of the power of friendship. But as anyone who has read Kate DiCamillo’s best-selling children’s book Flora & Ulysses knows, in the hands of a gifted writer, anything is possible. DiCamillo’s novel opens with a squirrel named Ulysses being sucked into a vacuum cleaner. When he is rescued by 10-year-old self-proclaimed cynic Flora Belle Buckman, he emerges with superpowers: the ability to fly, write poetry, and understand what people are saying. But Ulysses isn’t the only one who undergoes a metamorphosis. Flora, struggling to find her place in the world following her parents’ recent divorce, emerges stronger and more secure, buoyed by the unexpected friendships she makes after helping Ulysses.
Now, DiCamillo’s Newbery Award–winning book has been adapted for the stage, and happily for local young theater-goers, it’s about to open at Wheelock Family Theatre (WFT), with all of the quirky but endearing characters readers have come to cherish.
Nick Vargas, WFT executive director, says he thinks young audiences will quickly identify with Flora, and with William Spiver, the 13-year-old boy she befriends, who is also navigating a complicated family dynamic.
“The things that Flora and William are experiencing are things that many kids are living through, and they don’t often have a story on stage that they can relate to,” says Vargas. “It’s a universal story of growing up.”
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The things that Flora and William are experiencing are things that many kids are living through, and they don’t often have a story on stage that they can relate to. It’s a universal story of growing up.
