February 2, 2016
Pinocchio: A Folk Musical
Christine Malcom READ TIME: 3 MIN.
In its first production of the 2016 season, Filament Theatre lands a gem "Pinocchio: A Folk Musical." Under the direction of Scott Ferguson, of "Schoolhouse Rock Live!" fame, a talented cast of six brings Tyler Beattie's engaging words and music to life.
The adaptation draws extensively from the 1883 Carlo Collodi novel for both its dialogue and lyrics. For the under-10 crowd, Beattie plays freely with repetition, but the old-fashioned language, creative instrumentation and unusual, modal beauty of his melodies steer the songs well clear of the fare that often drives the grown-ups away.
In terms of plot, the adaptation is decidedly episodic. Characters like Geppetto and the Blue Fairy come and go a little conveniently, as they often do in children's stories. But adhering to that element of the novel is the right move if the rapt attention of the kids in the audience for a solid hour is anything to judge by.
As usual, Filament knows its space well and uses it creatively. The stage is the floor itself with chairs on risers on three sides. "Backstage" is suggested by a handful of translucent drapes, so there's little that occurs out of full view of the audience. To further invite us into the picaresque tale, blankets and pillows are laid on the floor for those who really want to be part of the action.
Brad Caleb Lee's set consists largely of a cross between a gypsy wagon and a secretary desk. The side open to the stage is an inviting array of drawers and cubbies that house the costume pieces, props and masks that allow the actors to slip into one character after another. Otherwise, the set comprises an upright piano, a square wooden chest filled with lengths of silk to suggest a road, the sea, a giant shark or a vision, as needed.
No�l Huntzinger outfits the cast in rustic base pieces that allow them to pick up the shared threads of narration as easily as they do their instruments when their main purpose is moving the story from adventure to adventure. For the the bad influences Pinocchio meets along the way, Huntzinger adds wonderfully clever, garish accents to complement masks by Jeff Semmerling, which add exactly the right amount of grotesque flair.
Finally, Emma Deane's subtle lighting design has just enough dramatic moments to thrill the older kids without worrying the little ones up too much. The only minor hitch in the proceedings is balancing sound in a brick-faced room. Although the cast are outfitted with wireless mics, it was still occasionally hard to follow when human voices and acoustic instruments had a piano, saxophone and accordion to contend with.
As is also usual for Filament, production and cast are difficult to separate from one another, and ensemble work is central. With the exception of Roberto Jonson, who commits fully to an interesting take Pinocchio that doesn't shrink away from the dark elements of the characters, each of the actors plays multiple characters as well as contributing to both music, narration and elements of the set.
The rapport and collaboration of the cast is absolutely integral to the show. One actor slides onto the piano bench, picking up a musical phrase as another departs to help dress yet another. They hand off props, puppets, instruments and costume pieces so mindfully and in such fluid fashion that every action contributes to the dreamlike world of the story, culminating in the moment where the five ensemble members (Felipe Carrasco, Mara Dale, Kamille Dawkins, Nik Kmiecik and Maddy Low) wind around Pinocchio to form the coils of a snake around the wooden boy.
