VISUAL STORY The Neverending Story
1. Ten-year-old Bastian Balthazar Bux and his father are grieving the loss of Bastian’s mother, who has recently died. Bastian, who is being bullied at school because of his love of books, wants to stay home; however, his father insists that he keep attending school so that the family cam maintain a sense of normalcy.
Jake Runeckles (left) as Bastian and Tim Campbell as Bastian’s Father. Photography by Emily Cooper.
2. Encountering a group of bullies on his way to school, Bastian escapes by running into a bookstore. Its owner, Carl Conrad Coreander, suggests that Bastian read a book called The Neverending Story – a title that hints at its magical properties. Bastian is so intrigued by this book that when the bookseller steps out of the room for a moment, he makes off with it. Hiding in his school’s attic, he begins reading it instead of going to class.
Roy Lewis (left) as the Bookseller and Jake Runeckles as Bastian. Photography by Emily Cooper.
3. As Bastian reads, we see the story in the book unfolding on stage. It takes place in a magical world called Fantastica, where a dark force called the Nothing is causing everything to disappear, and whose ruler, the Childlike Empress, is dying.
Jake Runeckles as Bastian. Photography by Emily Cooper.
4. In the story, Atreyu, a young hunter of the purple buffalo, is chosen to find a cure for the Empress that will also destroy the Nothing. The Empress’s Chancellor of the Ivory Tower and her personal physician, Cairon, give Atreyu a medallion called the Auryn, to protect him on his journey, in which he is accompanied by his loyal horse, Artax.
Qasim Khan (left) as Atreyu and Roy Lewis as Cairon. Photography by Emily Cooper. 5. Meanwhile, in the “real” world, we see Bastian continuing to read the story. He fnds it so interesting that he just can’t pull himself away to go to class – or even to recess. Jake Runeckles as Bastian. Photography by Emily Cooper.
6. In the story, Atreyu meets many strange creatures on his quest, including travellers in the Singing Tree country, Eribo (a very small man who flies across the stage in a hot-air balloon), a troll, and a Sassafranian family consisting of an adult and two children.
Katelyn McCulloch and Tim Campbell as Travellers. Photography by Emily Cooper.
7. In the real world, Bastian realizes that it’s lunchtime. He pulls out his lunchbox and begins to eat his sandwich while continuing to read.
Jake Runeckles as Bastian. Photography by Emily Cooper.
8. Back in the story, Atreyu and Artax are travelling through the Swamp of Sadness. Because Atreyu is wearing the Auryn, he is unaffected by the Swamp’s negative effects. Artax, however, is not protected and dies. In the story, Atreyu is heartbroken, while in the real world Bastian gets angry at the idea of one of the heroes in a story dying partway through. Bastian continues reading.
Qasim Khan (left) as Atreyu and Andrew Robinson as Artax the Horse. Photography by Emily Cooper. 9. Continuing his quest in the story, Atreyu meets Morla, an ancient and wise turtle, who tells him to fnd someone called Uyulala in the Southern Oracle, which is very far away.
Qasim Khan (left) as Atreyu and Kim Horsman as Morla the Turtle. Photography by Emily Cooper.
10. Next, Atreyu meets Falkor, a luck dragon, who is trying to talk his way out of being eaten by a giant spider called Ygramul. Ygramul tells Atreyu that if he lets her sting him, her poison will give him the power to travel anywhere in Fantastica. Atreyu lets Ygramul sting him and, saying goodbye to Falkor, is transported to the Southern Oracle.
Laura Condlln (left) as Ygramul and Rylan Wilkie as Falkor. Photography by Emily Cooper.
11. Back in the real world, Bastian realizes he has been reading all day and the school is now locked up for the night. He decides to continue reading The Neverending Story.
Jake Runeckles as Bastian. Photography by Emily Cooper.
12. In the story, Maya the Dark Queen and her Spooks enter and are greeted by the evil werewolf Gmork. Gmork asks Maya to help him fnd Atreyu, whom he wants to kill. Maya agrees to help but orders Gmork to stay in her palace until Atreyu is found.
Sean Arbuckle (left) as Gmork and Ijeoma Emesowum as Maya with members of the company. Photography by Emily Cooper. 13. Atreyu wakes up in the Southern Oracle to fnd that Falkor has followed him there. But then Ygramul’s poison begins to paralyze them both. From the real world, Bastian yells that Atreyu can’t die, since he’s the hero. Two more characters, Engywook and Urgl, then immediately enter the story and cure Atreyu and Falkor. Bastian realizes that he’s not just reading The Neverending Story; he has control over it.
Jake Runeckles (right) as Bastian with Qasim Khan as Atreyu and Andrew Robinson as Artax the Horse. Photography by Emily Cooper.
14. Engywook and Urgl tell Atreyu, now cured, how to fnd Uyulala. They tell him about three gates he will have to pass through. At each gate there is a test, each more difficult than it seems. However, Atreyu manages to pass each one.
Qasim Khan as Atreyu. Photography by Emily Cooper.
15. While flying back to the Empress on Falkor’s back, Atreyu falls off into the Sea of Possibilities, where Gmork is waiting for him. Severely tested, Atreyu almost uses the Auryn for evil, but eventually manages to resist. Gmork claws Atreyu, leaving him severely injured, but then the Childlike Empress appears and heals him.
Sean Arbuckle (left) as Gmork and Qasim Khan as Atreyu. Photography by Emily Cooper.
16. Atreyu discovers that only someone who exists outside of Fantastica can save the Childlike Empress; this person must do so by giving her a new name. At various points on Atreyu’s journey, Bastian has found that his own actions affect the events ofThe Neverending Story. He realizes that he himself has a vital part to play in saving Fantastica and its Empress. Jake Runeckles as Bastian. Photography by Emily Cooper. 17. Fantastica is now in ruins, and Atreyu is determined to fnd the human child who will save the Empress. As Fantastica gets smaller and smaller, the Empress calls out to Bastian to give her a new name. Bastian goes to his window and shouts, “Moon Child!” In a flash of light, he suddenly reappears next to the Childlike Empress in Fantastica.
Jake Runeckles as Bastian and Mamie Zwettler as the Childlike Empress. Photography by Emily Cooper.
18. As a reward, the Empress gives him a grain of sand from the remains of old Fantastica and invites him to visit the new world often. She grants him as many wishes as he wants, one of which is to bring back all of his friends who have died throughout the journey. Using his imagination, Bastian rebuilds the world of Fantastica.
Jake Runeckles (right) as Bastian with Qasim Khan as Atreyu and Andrew Robinson as Artax the Horse. Photography by Emily Cooper.
19. In the real world, it is now evening and Bastian has again been reading The Neverending Story all day long. The play ends with Bastian returning home and hugging his father, who is greatly relieved that his son is safe.
Jake Runeckles (left) as Bastian and Tim Campbell as Bastian’s Father. Photography by Emily Cooper.