1982 Bambi

About

In 1982, the Gowanda stage first echoed with the "twitterpated" joy and quiet reverence of the forest in our original production of Bambi. A full decade before the 1992 revival, this early-eighties production brought the beloved coming-of-age story to life. Students navigated the challenges of portraying animal characters through expressive physical acting and stylized movement, creating a gentle yet powerful narrative that spoke to the cycle of life and the beauty of nature.

The show was a remarkable display of Creativity and Collaboration for its time. Without the advanced technical tools of later years, the cast and crew relied on handcrafted costumes and imaginative lighting to simulate the shifting seasons of the forest. This production holds a special place in the archive as one of our earliest recorded shows, demonstrating that the heart and Panther Pride that define our program today were already flourishing over 40 years ago. 💙

Program

Photo Gallery

Help Us Preserve Panther History

Our musical history is a shared story that spans generations of Gowanda talent. If you have production photos, behind-the-scenes snapshots, or cast memories from this performance, we want to include them in our digital archive! Please send your digital files or scanned memories to Mr. Bett (MrBett@gcslearn.org) to help us keep "The Gowanda Experience" alive for years to come. 💙