Open: 05/15/2010- Close: 06/06/2010
The Frog Singer In a world of children’s entertainment dominated by the visual spectacles of Pixar, The Lion King, and Dora the Explorer, a simple story can be a pleasant change. Laura Strausfeld’s The Frog Singer, billed as a “glow-in-the-dark puppet spectacle,” isn’t particularly spectacular, but may be that welcome relief for the over-stimulated New York preschooler. Assisted by glowing green electroluminescent wire puppets, three actors/puppeteers tell the story of Lester, a talented frog who rises to great acclaim as a world champion jumper, but whose true passion lies in singing. In this forty-minute tale, Lester wonders if it’s more important to be the best at what you do, or to be happy. Should he risk disappointing his parents and community by pursuing his dream“ The Frog Singer attempts to answer these difficult questions through puppetry, light satire (an overlong spoof on prescription drug commercials was clearly intended to appeal to the adult members of the audience), and a sweet story of a frog who just wants to be happy. The battery-powered puppets are a compelling concept but somewhat static in practice, and there is clearly room for refinement in the technique—the puppeteers appeared to be struggling to operate them at times. The projected illustrations done in real time which serve as a backdrop is another idea which becomes a bit deflated in practice, as the actors’ bodies blocked many of the drawings, and others were obscured by technical difficulties. Ultimately, however, the technological mishaps do not stand in the way of a story which should appeal to both children and adults on different levels. Adults will appreciate more subtle elements of the puppetry, kids will love the intentional bad singing and the concluding dance party, and both should come away with the message that whatever people around you may say, the most important thing in life is to be yourself. Venue: The Drilling Company : 236 West 78th Street |
