One of the production's two leading casts: front, Mowgli, the boy-cub raised by wolves, and Bagheera, the panther who guides Mowgli to civilization; rear, the girl who ultimately befriends Mowgli, the fierce tiger Shere Kahn, and the friendly, fun-loving bear Baloo. There were roles for every member of Stratford School's fifth grade class this spring as nearly 200 students took the stage in a rousing production of Disney's The Jungle Book.

A band of monkeys, a herd of elephants, a swarm of bees, a flock of vultures, and a pack of wolves, not to mention dozens of flowers, rocks, and trees; a bevy of prickly pear cactuses; and a six-person snake made from air duct tubing populated the lush jungle created on stage by Director and Music Teacher Meredith Stillwell and Art Director George Lucas backed up by an army of faculty, staff, and parent support.

"The dedication and hours that parents, staff, and students spent on the project is truly unbelievable," Miss Stillwell said. "A huge amount of parent support went into the production in every area from publicity and costumes to scenery and even carpooling to make sure that everyone in the cast could get to and from rehearsals."

Trees populating the jungle where Mowgli grew up among a pack of protective wolves. The musical, based on the classic series of tales by Rudyard Kipling, revolves around Mowgli, a boy raised by wolves in the Indian jungle. When the wolves learn that the fierce tiger Shere Kahn is in the vicinity, they insist on sending Mowgli to a distant "man-tribe" for safety. On the journey, Mowgli encounters many creatures and has many adventures.

"The production was simply spectacular," Garden City School Superintendent Robert Feirsen, Ed.D., said after seeing the show. "It demonstrates the great things that can be accomplished when students, teachers, and parents all work together."

The pack of wolves that raised Mowgli and sent him to the "man-tribe" for safety. A six-person snake fashioned from air duct tubing by the inventive costume committee. Vultures that live in the jungle. The prickly pear cacti found throughout the jungle. The rocks over which Mowgli must travel. Jungle flowers that help Mowgli on his way.