2nd Story offers two diverse productions

Posted 11/25/15

Paul Sills’ “Story Theatre” combines music, storytelling and a bit of improvisation as an ensemble of eight players act out fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm and Aesop in the intimate …

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2nd Story offers two diverse productions

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Paul Sills’ “Story Theatre” combines music, storytelling and a bit of improvisation as an ensemble of eight players act out fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm and Aesop in the intimate downstairs theatre. The two-hour production comes off as a combination of Atwater-Donnelly concert, Kaleidoscope Theatre and Florentine Faire. You’ll recognize some of the old tales, which have been altered a bit to include some clever songs, corny ad-libs and lots of running around.

The actors use many props, masks and costumes to portray a wide range of characters, enhanced by the many instruments that the talented Aubrey Atwater and Elwood Donnelly play. The musicians also join in the mayhem and prove themselves to be quite good in the acting department.

Atwater and Donnelly have moved from the hills of Foster to the waterfront community of Warren, where Artistic Director Ed Shea has taken advantage of the talents. Hopefully, in the future he will find ways to make more and better use of their talents.

Director Erin Olson has chosen to keep the play open and free-flowing, which unfortunately makes some of the action repetitious. This should work with the children in the audience, but can be a bit tedious for us older folks.

Bring the children, who should enjoy the colorful characters and silly antics. “Story Theater” plays through December 20.

I immediately disliked the characters in Alan Ayckbourn’s timely, satirical play, “Neighborhood Watch.” By the end of the play, I hated them.

While “Neighborhood Watch” was written before the Trayvon Martin tragedy, it reflects that dark incident while raising a number of issues about vigilante behavior.

Brother and sister Martin and Hilda (Joe Henderson and Becky Minard) have just moved into Bluebird Hill, a middle-class neighborhood with views of a housing project below them.

Martin chases a kid with a small case who was cutting through his yard, confiscating what he thought may be a bomb. It turns out to be something quite innocent.

The pair invites neighbors over for coffee. Only a few show, with the conversation turning to protecting their property from “those people” and the formation of a Neighborhood Watch.

Paranoia quickly takes over, as the group imagines the worst and builds fences to protect their proper

These mean-spirited snobs are soon enforcing strict rules that run from building a gate and requiring ID cards to enter, to building stocks to punish people for using foul language.

The absurdity of their actions is only outdone by the way they eventually treat each other.

The only sympathetic character is Magda (Laura Sorenson), the clarinet teacher who is abused by her obnoxious husband (Wayne Kneeland).

The other neighbors carry their own baggage. Rod (Jim Sullivan) is a macho ex-marine who can turn nasty. Dorothy (Lynne Collinson) is a nosy old gossip. Gareth (F. William Oakes) has reached the breaking point over his wife’s (Pamela Morgan) infidelity.

What we get is a look at a bunch of self-righteous people who get carried away with their own importance, revealing their hidden prejudices and inadequacies.

There are a number of messages and warnings in this satirical tragic-comedy, and I have to admit that my wife liked the way that the playwright addressed them. I just had troubled getting past the mean-spiritedness.

At 2nd Story through Dec. 6. For reservations to either production, call 247-4200.

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