The Old Man
and the Old Moon
Written by the PigPen ensemble
Directed by Stuart Carden and PigPen Theatre
Writers’ Theatre, 325 Tudor Ct., Glencoe (map)
thru Nov 10 | tickets: $35-$70 | more info
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A joyous evening of visual and sonic beauty
PigPen Theatre Co. i/a/w Writers’ Theatre presents
The Old Man and the Old Moon
Review by Catey Sullivan
Charm, innovation and a folksy, sincere jubilance are the hallmarks of The Old Man and the Old Moon, the big-fish-tall-tale that originated with a group of recent Carnegie Mellon grads and has now found its way from New York to Glencoe’s Writers’ Theatre. Molded to fit into Writers’ Tudor Court space by director Stuart Carden, the piece from PigPen Theatre Co. – with its twangy, blues-and-roots infused score and ingeniously creative use of shadow puppetry – both looks and sounds marvelous. Only a curmudgeon could fail to find joy in the story of a man who sets sail in search of a beloved wife who has embarked on her own quest in search of a beguiling, half-remembered tune.
Much of the pleasure found in The Old Man and the Old Moon comes from the musical prowess of the multi-instrumentalists that comprise the seven-man ensemble, a group that excels equally on strings, keyboards and percussion. Their sound evokes the rolling, retro-raucous harmonies of the Lumineers or Mumford and Sons as they blaze their way through a rich roster of tunes that sound pleasingly familiar even though they are all wholly original. The toe-tapping up-tempo numbers have all the infectiously energetic spirit of a backwoods Appalachian hootenanny; the ballads are steeped in a gorgeous melancholy that makes the heart ache.
The core of the episodic, sometimes wandering story centers on the titular Old Man (Ryan Melia), whose picaresque adventures begin after his wife of many years (Alex Falberg) sets off one night in a westward-bound boat, seeking the genesis of an ancient tune she finds echoing in her mind. The Old Man’s pursuit over land, across oceans and (Job-like) deep into the belly of a massive fish, comes with equal parts comedy and peril.
Crucially, the voyage takes him away from his post as lightkeeper to the moon. Without the Old Man’s daily infusions of liquid luminosity into the orb, the night sky’s most visible sphere slowly succumbs to darkness, light escaping like the air from a leaky balloon. As the night plunges into pitch, the lunar-controlled tides run amok and the delicate balance between earth and water sloshes toward massive instability.
But while The Old Man and the Old Moon intriguingly touches on the vast and scary upheaval caused by lunar irregularity, it fails to adequately plumb the catastrophes wrought by darkness. Likewise, we never really get a satisfying explanation (or exploration) of the mysterious music that has so powerfully moved the Old Woman.
Penned collaboratively by the Pig Pen ensemble – Ryan Melia, Alex Falberg, Matt Nuernberger, Dan Wechsler, Ben Ferguson, Curtis Gillen and Arya Shahl – their narrative relies more on superficial whimsy than meaningful depth. The tale is entertaining as the Old Man encounters colorful bands of sailors, balloonists and legendary sea captains, but relies on surface over substance.
Still, where the narrative falters, the visual and sonic beauty of Old Man… maintains the production’s pleasant intrigue. The ensemble is almost balletic in its graceful physicality, and its puppet prowess is delightful. The sepia-toned shadow puppets that render the Old Man’s voyages over mountains and tumbling waves are delicately, intricately beautiful. Moreover, the group’s ability to render utterly low-tech mundane objects into instruments of fancy is glorious: A mop and a plastic jug becomes an endearingly lovable shaggy dog; a bolt of cloth morphs into a sailboat.
For The Old Man and the Old Moon to truly take flight, its story needs to acquire depth and direction; the adventures of the old couple need meaning to match their visual loveliness. As it is, the production is rich with pretty, wildly creative stage pictures and a trove of sonic riches.
Rating: ★★★
The Old Man and the Old Moon continues through November 10th at Writers’ Theatre, 325 Tudor Court, Glencoe (map), with performances Tuesdays/Wednesdays at 7:30pm, Thursdays/Fridays at 8pm, Saturdays at 4pm and 8pm, Sundays 2pm and 6pm. Tickets are $35-$70, and are available by phone (847-242-6000) or online through their website (check for half-price tickets at Goldstar.com). More information at WritersTheatre.org. (Running time: 1 hour 40 minutes, no intermission)
Photos by Liz Lauren
artists
cast
Alex Falberg (The Old Woman), Ben Ferguson (Callahan), Curtis Gillen (Llewelyn), Ryan Melia (The Old Man), Matt Nuernberger (Mathson), Arya Shahi (Cookie), Dan Weschler (Mabelu).
behind the scenes
Stuart Carden (director), Lydia Fine and Bart Cortright (set, lighting), Mikhail Fiksel (sound design), Meredith Miller (props master), David Castellanos (stage manager), Liz Lauren (photos).
13-0920
