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Events Tue May 08 2012
On Stage: The Postman
Although theater is not necessarily of the literary persuasion, I think the Chicago Humanities Festival's presentation of The Postman, as part of the spring theater festival Sights & Sounds, is well worth noting here. Unlike most plays--and books for that matter--this one, for young children ages for four and up, has zero dialogue. The hour-long show comes across more like a child's imagining of a picture book than a play.
A production by the Velo Theatre Company, founded in 1981 in Angers, France by Charlot Lemoine and Tania Castaing, this like all of the company's work prominently features a bicycle. In fact, the bike in question is actually the backbone of the set, which develops in a sort of diorama fashion, taking shape and unfolding from within the postman's boxes as they're opened. Velo was built on the notion that an actor's connection to physical objects on stage can be as much a form of expression as words. This particular show surely does the mission service.
The scenes themselves are tiny, built with the keen eyesight of a young person in mind, and easily come to life at the hands of the Postman turned puppeteer, played by Charlot Lemoine who has been performing the show around the world for the past 30 years. Lemoine's excitement is simultaneously palpable and muted to allow for focus on the intricate scenery and palm sized action.
There are only two more showings of this particular production left to run. If you are lucky enough to catch one, expect, mermaids, dragons, a surprisingly effective rendering of the ocean, and a sweeping mountaintop. The show features moments of slight tension, namely when the lights go off save for a dragon's illuminated eyeballs, as well as a fairy tale quality, especially during an underwater scene.
I never once felt remotely bored during the show despite my separation from its target demographic. One of only two or three adults without a kid on her lap, I felt myself transported back to the first floor steps of my childhood home where I often looked through books with my mother, making up the story based on the illustrations.
Visit the Chicago Humanities Festival website for a complete listing of the springtime lineup and to purchase tickets.
