By Randi Bjornstad

The Cottage Theatre closes out its 2022 performance season with The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, the story of how a toy china rabbit learns the meaning — and the mechanism — of loving others.

The bunny, of course, is Edward Tulane, and his saga begins when Abilene, the human girl who loves him — but he’s way too self-centered to love her back — goes on an ocean liner vacation with her family and Edward somehow ends up over the side and in the sea.

After months or maybe more, the little china rabbit ends up in a fisherman’s net and is brought back to the surface. From then on, he is passed from one owner — or should it be companion — to another, among them an elderly couple experiencing grief in their lives, a homeless man with a dog, a brother and his ailing sister, and many more.

With the passage of time, Edward observes and learns from the feelings of love and caring, loss and recovery, that he witnesses from all these people, and it changes his outlook on life.

The original story of Edward Tulane the china rabbit comes from the book, The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, by Kate DiCamillo that has been adapted for the stage by Dwayne Hartford. Published in 2006, DiCamillo’s book won the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award that year for fiction. She has written many other books, including Flora and Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures; Because of Winn-Dixie; and The Magician’s Elephant.

Directed by Kari Welch, the Cottage Theatre’s production of Edward Tulane features set design by Genevieve Schaack, costumes by Rhonda Turnquist and lighting by Brittany Foley.

The ast includes Stuart McClean, Eliza Roaring Springs, Hailey Eckhart, Amy Weinkauf, Dale Flynn, and Alexander Carr, who play multiple characters in bringing the story to life.

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane

When: 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 2-3, 8-10, 15-17 and 2:30 p.m. on Dec. 4, 11, and 18

Where: Cottage Theatre, 700 Village Drive, Cottage Grove

Special event: The performance on Thursday, Dec. 15, will be interpreted in American Sign Language (ASL)

Tickets: $27 for adults, $15 for youths, available online at cottagetheatre.org or by telephone at 541-942-8001; all seating is reserved; advance purchase recommended

All of the actors in Cottage Theatre’s production of The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane play multiple roles, The cast left to right: Stuart McClean, Eliza Roaring Springs, Dale Flynn, Amy Weinkauf, Alexander Carr, and Hailey Eckhart; photo by Susan Goes.