CurtainUp
The Internet Theater Magazine of Reviews, Features,
Annotated Listings
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CurtainUp The Internet Theater Magazine of Reviews, Features,
Annotated Listings |
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A CurtainUp Review The Stowaway (Or How the Mistress Quickly Went from Madcap to Majestic)
While Shakespeare is the real draw, the event also has puppetry and a live band onstage to keep things perky. Drew Petersen director-writer--performer has made the production accessible to anyone from age 5 to 105. In short, it's as unpretentious as a peanut butter-and-jelly sandwich coupled with a steaming cup of hot chocolate. The Stowaway starts out with a pre-show activity. Youngsters are handed a small piece of rope along with instructions on how to tie various boating knots: namely, the bowline, the clove hitch, and the figure eight. Cast members wander through the audience to offer hand-over-hand assistance to anyone who's having trouble with their knots and of course to chat with the new millennium generation. No worries if you or the little ones, don't master each nautical knot to perfection. In a pirate's wink, all the ropes are gathered up by the actors and placed into a convenient pail. Then the performers quickly head back stage to transform into their dramatic characters. The Stowaway isn't an adaptation but has its own narrative bent. It turns on the fortunes of the stowaway Dull (the pretty and feisty Ashley Renee Thaxton) who is determined to return to her homeland of Illyria. But can Dull outwit the powers that be on the Island of Hockey Puck? The old Duke has mysteriously vanished, a new Duke rules with the heart of Herod, and the people on the island live in great uncertainty as to what tomorrow will bring. The Stowaway is a basic good-guy, bad-guy story, jazzed up with high-sea adventures. The script is saturated with imagination, a striking amalgam of contemporary dialogue and Shakespeare's most familiar lines. The Bard's language doesn't always land with its original meaning and intent, but it's fun to see and hear it updated into Americana. The show, in fact, marries Shakespeare to hockey, with many in the troupe wearing hockey gear over their nautical outfits. This award-winning troupe have gained a reputation for offering quality theater to young audiences. They have performed at Lincoln Center, the Park Avenue Armory, Governors Island, and now at the Classic Stage. The downtown venue for only two weeks. So don't dally. This is an ideal opportunity to introduce the youngest members of your family to Shakespeare. |
Search CurtainUp in the box below PRODUCTION NOTES The Stowaway (Or How The Mistress Quickly Went From Madcap to Majestic) Written and Directed by Drew Petersen Cast: Molly Powers Gallagher (Fallstaff Trio, Guard, Understudy), Jocelyn Mackenzie (Fallstaff Trio, Guard), Rowan Magee (Captain Pinch, Dennis), Drew Petersen (Fallstaff Trio, Guard), Leigh Poulos (Froth, Constance the Figurehead), Neil Tyrone Pritchard (Mr. Faulconbridge, Bullcalf), Robert M. Stevenson (Understudy), Ashley Renee Thaxton (Dull), Spencer Lott (Puppeteer). Sets: Anshuman Bhatia Costumes: Natalie Loveland Lighting: Jane Chan Puppet & Props design: Spencer Lott Movement & Choreography: Sabrina Jacob Stage Manager: Dan Kelly Classic Stage Company at 136 East 13th Street, East Village. Tickets: $26. Matinees for schools are also available. For tickets, visit classicstage.org, or call (212) 352-3101 or (866) 811-4111, or in person at the box office. Phone or online at www.Telecharge.com From 11/06/17; closing 11/19/17. Remaining performances: Friday, November 17 at 7 pm; Saturday, November 18 at 11 am and 4 pm and Sunday, November 19 at 11 am. Running time: 70 minutes with no intermission Reviewed by Deirdre Donovan based on press performance of 11/10/17. REVIEW FEEDBACK Highlight one of the responses below and click "copy" or"CTRL+C"
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