Several of the nearly 200 cast members in Stratford School's fifth grade production of Disney's The Jungle Book rehearse a number. Look up when you enter Stratford School's lobby this winter and you'll see monkeys hanging from the ceiling. Talking coconut trees, dancing bears, and a troupe of elephants also have been spotted in hallways with surprising frequency. "Walking into Stratford right now is like entering a jungle," said Charna Caddy DiSanto, a member of the publicity committee and mother of fifth grader Danny DiSanto.

Jungle madness has arrived thanks to the fifth grade class and their rehearsals of the fifth grade production of The Jungle Book, the Disney musical based on the classic Rudyard Kipling novel.

Music Teacher Meredith Stillwell said she chose The Jungle Book because it is so different from plays performed in previous years. "In this amazing play, animals and plants create a jungle that comes to life," she said. "Since Broadway now has Tarzan and The Lion King, our production of The Jungle Book connects with the excitement of the Great White Way-and the music is wonderful."

Students in the fifth grade class at Stratford School assemble in front of the lavish jungle backdrop created for their upcoming production of Disney's The Jungle Book. Putting together a show like The Jungle Book with a cast of almost 200 students is a challenge. Miss Stillwell is quick to mention the tremendous support she has received. Students have been coming up with creative staging solutions. Art Teacher George Lucas has helped design and paint the stage backdrop. Parents have been working on many vital aspects of the production, including scenery, props, publicity, videos, program production, and car pooling the students after rehearsals.

"Costumes have been one of our biggest challenges," Mrs. DiSanto said. "We've had to figure out how to make dress up as monkeys, elephants, prickly pears, flowers, and bees just to name a few." Perhaps the crowning achievement is a six-person snake fashioned from the tubing used to make air conditioning ducts.

Come enjoy the spectacle. Curtain times are Thursday, March 29th, at 9:30 a.m. for Stratford School students and 7:30 p.m. for friends, family, and the general public. All are invited to the evening performance.