'Story Theatre' is a fun, off-beat show
By: Doug Krentzlin
Special to The Examiner
August 27, 2008
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Tiffany Garfinkle, Lori Boyd, Rachel Boyd, Jamie Boyd and JP Illarramendi appear in "Story Theatre" at Open Circle Theatre in Silver Spring. (Courtesy Photo)
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SILVER SPRING — To say that Open Circle Theatre’s version of Paul Sills’ 1970 play “Story Theatre” isn’t a terribly polished presentation is to miss the point. Indeed, some audiences will find that the shagginess of the production adds to the show’s charm. This will not be everybody’s cup of tea, but it is an off-beat offering from a unique troupe.
Open Circle’s mission is to present works performed by a combination of disabled and non-disabled actors. In some ways, Sills’ “Story Theatre,” which features short pieces adapted from “Grimm’s Fairy Tales” and “Aesop’s Fables” with an emphasis on mime and improvisation, seems like an ideal match for a company that promotes inclusiveness and diversity.
The program consists of ten stories, ranging from well known children’s classics like “The Bremen Town Musicians,” “Henny Penny” and “The Fisherman and His Wife” to less familiar tales like “The Little Peasant” and “The Master Thief.”
Sills, who was one of the co-founders of the seminal improvisational comedy troupe “Second City,” conceived “Story Theatre” in reaction to the political controversies of the time, most notably the riots that erupted in Chicago during the 1968 Democratic Convention.
Co-directors Suzanne Richard and Ian Armstrong have opted to give their take on the material a similar relevance by casting the ensemble as survivors of a Katrina-type disaster who act out the stories as a way of cheering up themselves and their children. The effectiveness of this framing device, like much of the show itself, depends on the tastes of the individual audience members.
The same applies to the use of folk music, both live and recorded, of the period, keeping with the spirit of the original, which featured songs by Bob Dylan, among others. While there are some people who can’t get enough of this music, there are others who will always be reminded of comedian Martin Mull’s routine about “the Great Folk Music Scare of the 1960s.”
Still, families with young children looking for something different might well find Open Circle’s “Story Theatre” to be a perfect introduction to live theater.
(If you go: Through Sept. 13; Round House Theatre Silver Spring; 8641 Colesville Road, Silver Spring; 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday; $15 to $30; 240-683-0305; www.opencircletheatre.org)
