CurtainUp
The Internet Theater Magazine of Reviews, Features,
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CurtainUp The Internet Theater Magazine of Reviews, Features,
Annotated Listings |
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A CurtainUp NJ Review
A Child's Christmas in Wales
The adaptation by Jeremy Brooks and Adrian Mitchell of Welsh poet Dylan Thomas's classic story is little more than fragments, major and minor incidents, songs and stories that Dylan recalls about his family and his childhood friends on Christmas day. The setting is Swansea, a village in Wales where an adult Thomas (a personable and endearing Greg Jackson as both the adult and child Dylan) has returned for a visit and not unexpectedly conjures up his past in a dream. Thomas's vivid imagination drives and shapes what he remembers of that special day in the early 1920s where at the breakfast table he is lectured by his father (Peter Simon Hilton) and by his also loving but no nonsense mother (Tina Stafford.) Under the fine direction of Joseph Discher the play moves along gracefully and most notably with glee with the comical early morning arrival of the town's already inebriated Postman (John Ahlin, who also plays Dylan's Uncle Gwyn) with his bundle of parcels. Apparently offering a few shots of whiskey is the only way to send him on his way. Getting into mischief seems to be the main sport of the day for young Dylan as he cavorts with his friends (Thomas Daniels, Julian Blake Gordon and Seamus Mulcahy). Adults playing children realistically is no easy task, but these lads nail it. Cassandra Cushman and Alycia Kunkle are funny indeed as Dylan's obnoxious cousins when they go sledding and become a royal nuisance to the boys. Many of the actors expertly play multiple roles, but it is as family members that we respond best to their various idiosyncrasies. The parents are played wonderfully by a stiff-necked Patrick Toon and a humorously condescending Tess Ammerman. Andy Patterson, who played Dylan Thomas in previous STNJ productions, gets his prescribed laughs with his anti-capitalist/pro communist rants as Dylan's bachelor uncle Glyn. I laughed the loudest when the slightly tipsy Aunt Hannah sings "Silent Night" during a private moment. Another stand out is Carey Van Driest, as Dylan's spinster and slightly mysterious aunt Elieri. Credit is due music director Robert Long for giving the play an ample serving of largely unfamiliar songs and carols, even a short dance, many of which are used to define characters. When it comes to the preparing and serving of the Christmas dinner, be prepared for a providential visit from the town firemen. Ghost stories told by family members in the front of the fire place go on a little too long, but mostly you'll enjoy an affectionately exaggerated time with a wide-eyed boy and a family that embodies and embraces the spirit of Christmas with all the trimmings. Scenic designer Steven Beckel has created a dreamy setting. An abstracted outline of row houses with their windows aglow almost floats. On the street below are small fir trees leaning against front doors adorned with wreaths. A small park appears where pranks will be played and then replaced by the warm and cozy interior of the Thomas home that becomes the centerpiece for much of the play. Thomas's vivid imagination drives and shapes what he remembers of that special day in the early 1920s where at the breakfast table he is lectured by his father (Peter Simon Hilton) and by his also loving but no nonsense mother (Tina Stafford.) Under the fine direction of Joseph Discher the play moves along gracefully and most notably with glee with the comical early morning arrival of the town's already inebriated Postman (John Ahlin, who also plays Dylan's Uncle Gwyn) with his bundle of parcels. Apparently offering a few shots of whiskey is the only way to send him on his way. Getting into mischief seems to be the main sport of the day for young Dylan as he cavorts with his friends (Thomas Daniels, Julian Blake Gordon and Seamus Mulcahy). Adults playing children realistically is no easy task, but these lads nail it. Cassandra Cushman and Alycia Kunkle are funny indeed as Dylan's obnoxious cousins when they go sledding and become a royal nuisance to the boys. Many of the actors expertly play multiple roles, but it is as family members that we respond best to their various idiosyncrasies. The parents are played wonderfully by a stiff-necked Patrick Toon and a humorously condescending Tess Ammerman. Andy Patterson, who played Dylan Thomas in previous STNJ productions, gets his prescribed laughs with his anti-capitalist/pro communist rants as Dylan's bachelor Uncle Glyn. I laughed the loudest when the slightly tipsy Aunt Hannah sings "Silent Night" during a private moment. Another stand out is Carey Van Driest, as Dylan's spinster and slightly mysterious aunt Elieri. Credit is due music director Robert Long for giving the play an ample serving of largely unfamiliar songs and carols, even a short dance, many of which are used to define characters. When it comes to the preparing and serving of the Christmas dinner, be prepared for a providential visit from the town firemen. Ghost stories told by family members in the front of the fire place go on a little too long, but mostly you'll enjoy an affectionately exaggerated time with a wide-eyed boy and a family that embodies and embraces the spirit of Christmas with all the trimmings. |
Search CurtainUp in the box below PRODUCTION NOTES NJ CONNECTIONS A Child's Christmas in Wales by Dylan Thomas. Adapted for the stage by Jeremy Brooks and Adrian Mitchell Directed by Joseph Discher Cast: Greg Jackson (Dylan Thomas), Peter Simon Hilton (Father of Dyland, Constable Lloyd-Jones), Tina Stafford (Mother of Dylan), John Ahlin (Postman, Gwyn), Thomas Daniels, Julian Blake Gordon, Seamus Mulcahy (Dylan's friends and firemen), Patrick Toon (Smoky, Tudyr), Alison Weller (Aunt Hannah), Clemmie Evans (Nellie), Andy Paterson (Glyn), Cassandra Cushman (Brenda), Alycia Kunkle (Glenda), Tess Ammerman (Bessie), Carey Van Driest (Elieri), Seamus Mulcahy (Murgatroyd), Benjamin Hajek, Ian Zane (Town Hill Boys) Musical Director: Robert Long Scenic Designer: Jonathan Wentz Lighting Designer: Rachel Miner Gibney Costume Designer: Tristan Raines Sound Designer: Steven Beckel Dialect Coach: Stephen Gabis Production Stage Manager: Denise Cardarelli Running time: 2 hours including intermission Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, at the F. M. Kirby Shakespeare Theatre located on the campus of Drew University, 36 Madison Avenue, Madison, N.J. Performances: Monday Dec. 26 at 7:30 pm; Tuesday (7:30 pm) Dec. 20, 27; Wednesday (2 pm) Dec. 28; Wednesdays (7:30 pm) Dec. 21, 28; Thursdays (8 pm) Dec. 22, 29; Fridays (2 pm) Dec. 23, 30; Fridays (8 pm) Dec. 23, 30; Sunday (2 pm) Dec. 18; Sunday (4:30 pm) Jan. 1 From: 11/30/16 Opened 12/03/16 Ends 01/01/17 Review by Simon Saltzman based on performance 12/16/16 NJ Theaters NJ Theatre Alliance Discount Tix Information REVIEW FEEDBACK Highlight one of the responses below and click "copy" or"CTRL+C"
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