Children’s Theater in the park, a comedy based on a few fairy tales; you might think it would be as bland as a bowl of vanilla ice cream. But Culver City Public Theater has a show for kids that takes on gender roles and socialism with some light hearted slapstick and wildly funny jokes. Bland is not the word.
When a scheming monarch takes the throne away from the rightful ruler, the line of succession gets a tweak that puts cousins and friends at odds. A journey to the forest (you knew there would be a forest, right?) lands the dispossessed heir with a gang of thieves who present as the Marx Brothers, and carry on the perfect comic device to move the plot forward. A surprise twist at the end, and you have all that you could want for an hour of charming comedy.
Director Marina Tidwell calls it “sublime silliness,” but also notes the show’s “hidden nuggets of literary and historical references” that make it fun for the grown-ups who are paying attention.
With cast members Rose Leisner, Ryan Hardge, Richard Rosales, Susan Stangl, Sophie Bell, Mari King, Beverly Crain and Margery Whalen all having a great time – running through the real park and the imaginary forest, cracking jokes and pulling pratfalls – it’s a delightful way to spend a summer afternoon.
CCPT – Rosalynde & The Falcon
Carlson Park – Saturday and Sunday at noon
Through August 4, 2019
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