REVIEW BELOW

The Super Dupers in association with Dreamweaver's Theater perform "Once Upon a Wishbone- A Christmas Story" at Dreamweaver's Theater, in the River Park Shopping Center at 1637 Imola Avenue in Napa (Theater is located in the back lot behind The Golden Carrot)
The show runs Dec 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, 16, 17, 18
Fridays and Saturdays at 7 PM, Sundays at 2 PM
Tickets are $18/adult $15/students, seniors, military, $10/children under 12 (special for this show only) Advanced reservations highly recommended: Call 707-255-LIVE (then press 3# -Note: the theatre is a little hard to locate at first, being as it is facing the back of the stripmall. Don't give up! )

REVIEW

As your newsletter editor I am loathe to use up copy before an issue, but I feel bound to share come comments about Once Upon A Wishbone while guild members still have an opportunity to make it to a performance, rather than wait until the January Newsletter when the opportunity to see this delightful show would have passed.

I had the pleasure of attending the dress rehearsal of "Once Upon a Wishbone," an interesting and engaging collaborative work that guild member Emily Giugni helped create (with some puppet construction assistance from husband Tim Giugni, also known to guild members as our guild secretary and president, respectively.) This show is part art installation, part improv theatre, part puppet show, with the effect that audience members truly feel they are entering into the dream world of the young actress that plays the role of the play's principle heroine (who does sleep through most of the play). As we enter the theatre we wander through a maze of painting and whimsical set pieces that begin to tell us the story of a girl who loved Christmas so much that she wished that everyday would be Christmas day. As often happens in 'wishing' stories, she only kind of gets what she wants, and the result of her wish is that she sleeps for 364 days of the year, missing out on life while she slumbers. Wandering farther into the theatre we pass by the young girl/actress sleeping in her bed, a surprisingly touching tableau. We get to read a letter addressed to the girl's mother from her doctor, commenting on her somnambulant condition, and see various Christmas decorations and toys from the girl's house. As we take our seats and the play begins, the dreams of the girl begin to mix with the things that she is missing throughout the year. Each month is portrayed by two (adult) actresses (Emily and Amber) taking improv suggestions from the audience and then acting them out with great facility (they gave the impression of a well honed improv duo, although I do not know if that is the case), creating a series of funny and well fleshed out characters that find themselves in all kinds of situations. Being improv, each show will be different, and directed by the audience's suggestions. While the play is perhaps 75-80% human actors, there are two puppet sequences worked in as part of the improv scenes, one, an improvised song (I always marvel at people who can make up songs on the spot) with foam puppets with huge noses that colorfully strut the stage in an on-the-floor bunraku style while singing, and the other a rod puppet (a gaunt and cold little girl figure based on the "Little Match Girl" who lights her matches one by one in a pitiful attempt to stay warm) with a shadow sequence. Unfortunately the lighting was not correctly programmed for the rehearsal I saw, so the shadow effects were lost, a problem that I am sure was easily corrected before the first performance. Throughout the play, we were treated to live guitar music (I believe much of it was original, played by the composer) that always appropriately and skillfully supported the action and never overpowered it.

What Emily and her fellow "Super Dupers" did was create a fresh, new Christmas play that captures the kind of story we look for during the holidays, while avoiding the holiday standards and clichés. Exciting, funny, with continual surprises, both Valerie and I give it two thumbs up and heartily recommend it. Don't expect it to be a 100% puppet show, but expect it to be 100% enjoyable!