TROUPE Step into 17th century England to witness an age-old ghost story... Troupe begins with four actors seeking to earn their livelihood through entertainment. Brought together after a plague outbreak in 1665, the traveling band rallies, and creates rollicking shows to gladden their audience. As cold weather approaches, the troupe searches for a position to secure direly needed food and shelter. After a chance meeting on West England's wild coast, it seems their wishes will be realized. Yet upon first arrival at a mist-enshrouded manor, eerie sightings hint that something is amiss. Surreal events escalate until the troupe fear for their lives. But mustering collective bravery alongside other residents of the manor, secrets emerge that lead to a remarkable discovery, at last lifting the curtain on a centuries-old mystery-both deeply disturbing and poignantly enlightening. The actors, together with their newfound friends, develop an extraordinary play revealing this solved mystery; an eloquent performance not only bursting with prose, music, and dance-but also serving to share heart-wrenching pathos and pure vindicating truths. Troupe is a historical adventure story, following youths riddled by the aftermath of plague and consequent loss. Hunger, the search for shelter, plus confused misperceptions, compound their bleak groping for survival. Yet, courage in the shadow of fear, resilience in the darkness of despair, even laughter and love; are woven into each scene through narrative detail, character-driven dialogue, and lyrical, stream-of-consciousness passages that represent inner realities and enable the poetic power of words to create mood and subconscious response. Mixed-media illustrations, composed of charcoal, oil, watercolor, pencil, and textile, add authenticity and intrigue to Troupe, set in England's early restoration era. Larowehn's passion for artful storytelling, and her in-depth study of character, takes center stage in Troupe. La
