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Friday, September 20, 2002

By Anna Rosenstein

The two children's plays produced this year as part of the New Works Festival journey into the world of mythology. Each tells a fairly sophisticated tale and, while there are many levels to the performances, I expect that older children will be able to appreciate the stories most fully.

		Stage Review NEW WORKS FESTIVAL CHILDREN'S PLAYS WHERE: Hamburg Studio, Bingham and 13th, South Side. WHEN: 1 p.m. Sat.-Sun. through Sept. 29. TICKETS: $4; 412-881-6888 or www.pittsburghnewworks.org.

This is especially true of D.E. Jukes' "A Wind Story," staged by Prime Stage Theatre. Taking cues from Native American legend, "A Wind Story" explains a mysterious natural phenomenon in a way that both beautifies and humanizes it. A great and undying wind plagues the village of Indian Boy (Sara Perconte) and his family, making it impossible to track and hunt food. It's soon discovered that the wind is caused by an angry bird who, unable to fly, flaps and flaps his enormous wings. Both Indian Boy and his father, Great Hunter (Daniel Harrold), set out for the bird's mountain home in an attempt to end the vicious wind storms. They succeed, but only with some help from the audience.

At under 30 minutes, "A Wind Story" is very short, forcing a rapid resolution. It may be easy for kids to miss exactly what happens, especially since the penultimate moments are accompanied by a bit of audience participation in which everyone is asked to stand to help block the blustering wind. The actors don't wait for the bustle of audience movement to die down and there's no leader to keep the children's energy focused on the imaginary wind and its effects.

Also a challenge to younger viewers is the rather formal language, as when Indian Boy cries, "I'm having trouble holding a position" as he's blown about.

If kids have difficulty following the details of the story, there's much to enjoy in the production. Director Erin Fleming cast children and young teens in all the roles, creating a feeling of wonderful summertime make-believe. The wind bird (Emily Gup) is a colorful creature that dances dolefully and the actors manage a general air of increasing tension, interrupted by moments of frivolity. The stakes are high and the reward is great, just as it would be in legend or in any child's imagination.

Kenneth Cavander's "The Life of Aesop," staged by Playhouse Jr., relates a clever and most enjoyable story. More traditional, it's filled with the familiar conventions of children's theater. There's an easy to understand moral. Actors transform magically into animals like fearless lions and hopping frogs. There's an evil king and a smart young boy who serves as guide.

Cavander uses the character of Aesop (Paul Johns) and his many fables (which are gleefully acted out) to teach a lesson about the value of freedom and the evil of slavery. The play is set in ancient Greece where a blowhard philosopher (John Palucka) receives his comeuppance and his son (Michael Karas) gains a friend and a greater understanding of man's responsibility to his fellow man.

Cavander's skill lies not just in his storytelling, but in his ability to inject humor that will tickle adults and children alike. That joyfulness is extended in colorful bits of costume, loads of silly horseplay and a happy, meaningful ending that's sure to give Aesop a run for his money.

Anna Rosenstein is a free-lance writer.