The Arrival is a graphic novel by Shaun Tan. It is at heart, a migrant story told as a series of wordless images that might seem to come from a long-forgotten time.

A man leaves his wife and child in an impoverished town, seeking better prospects in an unknown country on the other side of a vast ocean. He eventually finds himself in a bewildering city of foreign customs, peculiar animals, curious floating objects and indecipherable languages. With nothing more than a suitcase and a handful of currency, the immigrant must find a place to live, food to eat and some kind of gainful employment. He is helped along the way by sympathetic strangers, each carrying their own unspoken history: stories of struggle and survival in a world of incomprehensible violence, upheaval and hope.

Last summer, Director of Theater Arts Clark Taylor received permission to adapt the book into an original stageplay. Keeping with the main theme, Mount Vernon’s production of The Arrival is without words.

Clark shares, “This is the most daring undertaking yet for the MV Allstars to tackle and we have been working since the beginning of the school year with guest artists and specialists to collaborate and create a truly amazing theatrical experience for everyone to see, hear and feel.” As far as he knows, Mount Vernon is the first in North America to produce The Arrival for the stage.

The Arrival will hit the stage next month, but you can already purchase your tickets. View the showtimes below:
Thursday, November 14 at 7:00 p.m.
Friday, November 15 at 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, November 16 at 7:00 p.m.

All showings of The Arrival will be in the Upper School Black Box Theater. This show is appropriate for all ages.

Full Cast List
Arden Adams
Jackson Aull
Leighton Batcheller
Lydia Katz
Peyton De Weese
Lindsey Franklin
Grace Gilmour
Will Jackson
Thomas Kinser
Samantha McCarthy
Jack McGuire
Caroline Morrison
Tabitha Nagy
Warren Neel
Charlotte Nickell
Win Scott
Jesse Sherril
Kylie Smith-Wolfe
Addie Vogt
Anna Weber
Miller Woodall
Jordan Yager

Crew:
Rose Dodder
Jake Lortz
Jasmine George
Michael Barwood
Shae Griffith
Eleanor Madderra