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Volume 71, Issue 150,
Thursday, July 13, 2006
Life & Arts Elves round out Children's Theater Festival Brothers Grimm fairy tale adaptation brought to life by talented cast and solid directing by CHRISTIAN OCHOA
The Children's Theatre Festival doesn't kid around when it comes to entertaining children. CTF has masterfully produced a new show for the second part of its 28th season ®C The Elves and the Shoemaker. And if the high-energy, enthusiastic cast is any clue, the new production will do a fantastic job in keeping children and adults laughing in their seats. °°The children are a good audience; they will tell you whether or not you're on the mark,°± director and theater professor Brian Byrnes said. The play is an animated and entertaining production that presents a classic fairy tale featuring extravagant but hilarious elves, a high-handed countess and a reconciled family. Based on the classic Brothers Grimm fairy tale °™ adapted by Kate Pogue °™ The Elves and the Shoemaker is a great alternative for any flawed Hollywood movie. Byrnes remains faithful to the original story while injecting a few colorful touches that will entertain viewers. °°The characters' movements come across as very off-the-wall and spontaneous, but they are in fact, very intricate,°± Byrnes said. In The Elves and the Shoemaker, Klaus (J.J. Johnston), the master shoemaker, his wife Gretchen (Beth DeLozier) and their attendant, Margaret (Abby DeBolt), live in poverty until Klaus is given a chance to make shoes for the Count (Brian Hamilin) and Countess Eisenberg (C.J. Dockery). The task proves to be more than Klaus can handle, which is unfortunate because this is the opportunity that his impoverished family has been waiting for. Distraught by the failure of his shop and the loss of his son, Klaus loses confidence in his cobbling skills and sets asides his tools. But have no fear, for three mischievous elves are to the rescue of Klaus and his family. Chipper (Audi Resendez), Tapper (Natalie Arneson) and Heinrich (Caleb George) work tirelessly into the night to create fantastic footwear. Audiences can see what unfolds next through July 28 at the Lyndall Finley Wortham Theatre located in the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center for the Arts. The entire cast does a wonderful job in the play. All of them deliver their lines well and follow immediately with appropriate, funny gestures to rouse the audience's laughter. It is the cast's immediacy with lines, movement and comic relief that skillfully brings the children's tale to life stage. Along with Chipper and Tapper's magic tricks, gymnastics and high-pitched voices, the soft-spoken Count Eisenberg and his graceful entrance with his new boots are the apex of hilarity in the production. CTF, which is supported in part by a grant from the city of Houston through the Cultural Arts Council, is a professional project of UH's School of Theatre and Dance. Since 1978, CTF has dedicated itself to producing for children and original plays from young playwrights. More than 15,000 young children and their families attend CTF performances annually. °°We hope that this play will entertain (the children) while giving them a lesson about perseverance,°± Johnston said. Tickets for The Elves and the Shoemaker are $9 for adults and $8 for children 14 and under. The Elves and the Shoemaker will be the last production
for this year's CTF until next summer. For show times and ticket information,
visit www.hfac.uh.edu/theatre/ctf/home.html or call (713) 743-2929.
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