Pinocchio Commedia @ Hip Pocket Theatre
—Jan Farrington
The enduring, one-of-a-kind Hip Pocket Theatre opened its 46th season with founder Johnny Simons’ Pinocchio Commedia, a funny and sweetly engaging show that dates back to the company’s early days. Gepetto the woodcarver longs for a child, and dreams that the little “woodenhead” puppet he’s given might someday become a Real Boy.
The story of how that happens—if it happens!—takes some telling.
And on a breezy, cooler-than-usual Texas evening, the old, old Carlo Collodi tale of “Peen-oh-KEY-oh” (if you want to get Italian about it) seemed just right to a capacity audience who squeezed onto the wooden benches of HPT’s open-air theater—laughing at silly antics, booing the baddies, and cheering for happy endings all around. (Lake and Lorca Simons, daughters of HPT founders Johnny and Diane Simons—and who are now, respectively, the company’s managing and producing artistic directors—were there to welcome the opening-night audience, and the new season.)
It’s done in the commedia dell’Arte style with lots of “stock” characters audiences knew well back in the day—and Susan Austin’s costumes for the show are a festive raggle-taggle of (17th-18th century) period style. The cast play members of a poor traveling commedia troupe—who, with a little bit of greasepaint and magic, transform into the characters of the Pinocchio story.
Grover Coulson is heart-tugging and fun as lonely Gepetto, overjoyed to find that the wooden puppet he finds turns overnight into…well, not a human boy, but a good start. Tyler Dorney plays a wide-eyed Pinocchio, his movements stiff and comical as he gets used to a new life with no strings attached. Aaron Knowles Dias is sensational as the Cricket—who’d like to help, if only Pinocchio would slow down and listen. (Dias’ wonderful crouches and chirps as Cricket are a treat.)
The guiding Spirit of it all (Peggy Bott Kirby) only gives young Pinocchio a few rules, among them: mind your father, and always tell the truth—or else that nose….
But Pinocchio is too giddy with freedom. He lumbers off to seek his fortune, but runs into a wily Fox (Gary Cunningham) and his Cat sidekick (Melinda Wood Allen—who also sings the bell-clear high notes of the Spirit’s incantations). They sell the “live” puppet to an eager, evil Puppet Master (Bob Allen gets boos all around), who pops his new star into a cage. The Fool of the play (Kristi Ramos Toler) is smarter than they think: she finds the key, and Pinocchio (and friends) sail off to an island. The “whale” who chases them in the waves is a group effort, a Chinese New Year’s parade monster of toothy maw and long body (most of the cast is inside), all of it swimming straight for Pinocchio.
What will become of him? Will the woodenhead’s dumb moves and silly lies keep him a long-nosed donkey/puppet forever? Will Gepetto (“carve, carve, carve”) ever get the son his heart longs for?
It’s a fairy tale, of sorts—so how would YOU bet? In true Italian style, the comedy is physical (watching the cast “get up” from their pratfalls is too funny), and with a snarky streak that has you laughing at stuff you maybe shouldn’t. And the cast has plenty of energy and charm. Before you know it, you’re in the bag for Gepetto and Pinocchio, hoping they get everything they hope for.
Pinocchio Commedia is a show for most anyone—on opening night, small children shouted answers, yelled at the Puppet Master, and danced on the stage during intermission. It runs almost ‘til the end of June, so there’s plenty of time to pick an evening. Come early to enjoy pre-show music, a cold beer, even dinner (I hear). The show starts about sunset.
WHEN: Through June 26
WHERE: Out yonder: 1950 Silver Creek Road, Fort Worth TX 76108
WEB: hpt@hippocket.org or 817-246-9775
