Adapting Roald Dahl's Willy Wonka for the stage has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.

Although it has been quite an adventure and like many adventures, this one begins with a small boy.  O.k. perhaps not a small boy...

You see by the time little Timmy reached the third grade he didn't like to read.  Not a whit, not a bit, he would not could not on a boat, he could not would not learn by route, little Timmy didn't like to read. 

Timmy's sworn enemy in this adventure was the dastardly clever Mrs. Spencer, his third grade teacher.  With piles of honey colored hair, aqua netted to beehive perfection and cat eye glasses complete with sparkling diamonds, Mrs. Spencer was smart.  VERY smart.

She approached little Timmy when he was at his weakest and most vulnerable, right after lunch.

"Here, take this book home and read it...I think you'll like it" she said, diamonds flashing from her cat eye glasses.

"But I don't like to read" mumbled little Timmy, taking the last scoop of banana pudding from the little can with the oh-so-sharp edges.

"I'll bet you can't even read the first page..." Mrs. Spencer challenged.

Timmy balked.  What's this, a challenge?  "I'll have you know, I can read" he sputtered.  "I just don't LIKE to read."

"Sure kid whatever you say, but my money's on the fact that YOU can't read.  Like it or not.  In fact,  I dare you to read just the FIRST PAGE of this book."

Well every kid in the class was now staring at me--I mean little Timmy.  If little Timmy didn't accept the challenge, everyone would think little Timmy couldn't read and that just wasn't true.  Little Timmy COULD read.  He just didn't LIKE to read.

"Fine" said little Timmy "I'll read the first page of your silly book, but not one word more!"

That night little Timmy waited as long as possible before pulling out the book. He never told his parents about Mrs. Spencer's challenge, that way he could back out if another plan came to his active little mind.

Finally dressed for bed in striped PJs, teeth washed, ears cleaned, he pulled out the book.  "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, eh"  he mumbled reading the title of the book.  "Sounds interesting."  And little Timmy read the first page of that book: "THESE TWO VERY OLD PEOPLE are the father and mother of Mr. Bucket..."

"Who's Mr. Bucket?" mused little Timmy, turning the page.

"And these two very old people are the father and mother of Mrs. Bucket..." little Timmy kept reading, and reading and turning page after page following the adventure of Charlie Bucket and Mr. Wonka's magical chocolate factory.

Little Timmy finished that book that very same night reading every word, sounding the harder words out loud!  And the next morning at school when Mrs. Spencer asked little Timmy if he'd met her challenge he said he did better, "I read the whole book!"

Mrs. Spencer doubted him--and said so in front of the entire class.  That lead to her downfall, for little Timmy began to act out the story of CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY for the entire class!  From MEMORY!  Playing all the parts--even the GIRL PARTS!

By the end of his dramatic reading, the class applauded and there was a fight over who would read the book next resulting in a tear on the lower right side cover of the book.  And if you don't believe me, just go to the library at Anderson Elementary and check out CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY.  Well, there isn't really a library, the school was mainly portable classrooms on wheels, BUT in the hallway of the main building there were several shelves of books, carefully maintained by the smartest woman in the neighborhood, Ethel Gill--but that's another story.

Before the struggle over the book got too out of control, the bell rang, signaling the first recess of the day.  All the kids ran outside leaving little Timmy and Mrs. Spencer alone in the classroom.

Mrs. Spencer click, clicked up to little Timmy's desk.  "I'm very proud of you" she said.  "You can read." 

"I could always read" replied little Timmy.  "But now I LIKE reading."

Mrs. Spencer gave little Timmy a hug.  She smelled of aqua net mixed with the perfume Charlie, just like his mom.  It was a good smell.

"Do you have more books?"  He said with excitment.

"Indeed, I do--try this one!"  And with a splat JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH landed on little Timmy's desk.

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