A Flood of Childhood Tales: 'Story Theatre'

| Print Post This | Like (0) | Comments (0)

IN "STORY THEATRE," Open Circle Theatre uses tried-and-true tales to explore how people cope with disaster. Victims of a (nonspecific) flood in an American town pass the time waiting to be rescued by retelling Aesop's fables and Grimm's fairy tales.

The play retells 10 classic stories, including "The Bremin Town Musicians" and "The Fisherman and His Wife." All these years later, the stories are still touching, and director Ian Armstrong's flood-survival motif is interesting.

The play uses 14 actors who are shuffled in and out as needed, and each actor is extremely versatile, playing men and women, young and old characters. As with all Open Circle Theatre productions, several of the actors have disabilities, and the entire play is performed in audible speech and in sign language. It takes some concentration to figure out who is participating — often, another actor will voice a character from off-stage, but the production's sense of near-boundless inclusion is a nice touch.

The set, while simple, is what you'd expect from a post-flood situation — a stray mattress, road signs and bits of fence, among other litter. The characters often use these as makeshift props — a traffic cone becomes a hat, for instance. The play's many characters and short, touching stories make the almost two hours fly by, and the actors are clearly having fun. Even those on the sidelines can't help but laugh along with the play's best lines, and you won't be able to help yourself either.

» Round House Theatre, 8641 Colesville Road, Silver Spring, through Sept. 13, $15-$30; 240-683-0305. (Silver Spring)

Written by Express' Jason Koebler
Photo by Ian Armstrong/Open Circle Theatre