What do Ted Lasso, LOST, and Stranger Things all have in common? A Wrinkle in Time.

By Jonathan Silver

What do Ted Lasso, LOST, and Stranger Things all have in common?

Growing up, I loved TV and movies (still do!).  As a child of the 80s and 90s, “Hollywood blockbuster” and “Must See TV” were all part of my vernacular.  So, it’s no surprise that in those 3 series – all ranked in my personal top 10 television shows – I clocked the influence and importance of Madeleine L’Engel’s A Wrinkle in Time

 

Ted Lasso seems far removed from sci-fi, however, thematically, it’s eerily close and the title character is the key to it all: Ted’s optimism functions almost exactly like Meg’s love for her family, he behaves like a walking tesseract by bringing people emotionally where they need to be, and he forgives people who wound him just like Meg who forgives Charles Wallace after he betrays her.  In an early episode, Ted gifts the AFC Richmond players each a book to inspire change in them and chooses A Wrinkle in Time for Roy Kent to highlight the burden of leadership.  Roy asks, “Am I supposed to be the little girl?” Ted responds, “I’d like you to be.”

Regarding one of my favorite prestige shows: LOST screams A Wrinkle in Time.  The island is a tesseract with its time loops and nonlinear storytelling (flashbacks, flash sideways, and flashforwards – literal wrinkles in time!), the recurring idea of light vs. dark, and the direct character correlations from the series to the book – Jack is Meg, Walt is Charles Wallace, Kate is Calvin, and the Smoke Monster is IT.  And a not-so-secret easter egg, to pass time on the island, Sawyer is seen reading a copy A Wrinkle in Time in the first season.

Then, there is Stranger Things: The Upside Down is Camazotz, Vecna is IT, Eleven wins her greatest battles when she fights with love, Henry calls himself “Mr. Whatsit” this season, and the series, like Wrinkle, revolves around children in a world where most adults misunderstand what is at stake.  And, of course, the book makes a physical appearance this final season with Holly Wheeler reading A Wrinkle in Time.  Serendipitous timing as the show enters its final episodes.

Our current production of A Wrinkle in Time honors L’Engel’s original book through spectacular theatrical lighting, costume, and scenic design as well as some of my favorite recent performances at the Arden while introducing the next generation of children and families to this great story.   At the same time,  it stirs memories of the creative, adventurous, and loving spirit of the TV shows above — which may not necessarily be for young people, but Wrinkle as a book and a play certainly is.

What do Ted Lasso, LOST, Stranger Things and A Wrinkle in Time all have in common?

I invite you to bring the kids in your life and come find out live on stage.