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Thursday, July 24, 2008
‘Tom Thumb’ at Georgia Shakes
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
THEATER REVIEW. Grade: B-
Tall is not all, and might doesn’t always make right.
Such is the premise of Atlanta playwright Margaret Baldwin’s “Tom Thumb the Great,” the new Georgia Shakespeare family production that borrows from an 18th century political satire by Henry Fielding.
Replete with both actors and puppets large and small, an upside-down mop bucket, a golden cashew and an evil queen in a pompadour wig, this world premiere is a playful summer diversion in which technical invention triumphs over storytelling and the richest humor is derived from a series of jokes about scale and physicality.
Tom Thumb (Derrick Ledbetter) rides in on a chipmunk chariot, scoots around on top of an inverted pail and, during the banquet scene, shrinks into a tiny doll that vexes the wits of his foes. (Ledbetter manipulates the Barbie-sized puppet while hiding underneath the table).
In some of the the funniest bits, the plucky and irreverent Tom proves to be the proverbial bee in the bonnet of bovine-size Queen Dollalolla (Spencer G. Stephens). Far from a thumbsucker, Tom helps King Archibald the Eleventh (Bryan Mercer) battle the giants (who appear both as large-scale shadow puppets and human actors in gigantic full-body costume). He also falls in love with the beautiful Princess Huncamunca (Ally Carey), jostles with her nefarious suitor Lord Grizzle (David Quay) and deals with the inconvenient amorous advances of Gumdalca, the Queen of the Giants. Also played by Stephens, Gumdalca is a humongous puppet creation with a ditzy attitude and a Deep South drawl.
Director Clint Thornton devises some dandy technical tricks and coaxes terrific performances from most of the cast members. Stephens, in particular, is a hoot, and Sam Bardwell’s long-faced, nasal-toned Foodle scores laughs with every line.
On opening night, it was interesting to hear the comments of some young audience members. One gasped to discover that Queen Lolladolla was played by a man; another wondered why the king wore high heels. (Katherine Aurora Callahan’s costumes are of the wig-and-powder variety that ruled the 1700s). But the corny one-liners about alt-rock groups and design principles will probably be lost on this crowd. “Form follows function.” Come on.
Still, it probably won’t matter to most kids that the story feels a little cluttered and wobbly and the humor a little strained. Even if the tomfoolery never builds into a fully cohesive endeavor, “Tom Thumb the Great” sparkles with magical hijinx and no small amount of silly fun.
THE 411: 10 a.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays. 7 p.m. Tuesday. Through Aug. 2. $10-$12. Georgia Shakespeare, Oglethorpe University, 4484 Peachtree Road, Atlanta. 404-264-0020, gashakespeare.org.
Bottom line: Thumbs half-way up.
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See and Do - Before It Vanishes
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Alpharetta native Holt Webb quit his job at a camera store to take on a project that has special resonance for those of us who live in this constantly changing metropolis. He is traveling across America, photographing vanishing places. And there are plenty: from fields of retired airplanes to entire small towns that have been abandoned.
Webb told the AJC that the project has its roots in his childhood experience of seeing natural places paved over and turned into shopping centers or housing.
“Growing up, I saw many of the places where I used to play succumb to development. I saw the same thing when I lived in San Diego, where there were always new strip malls or condos being built, and it broke me up. True, some changes are for the better, but how many kids do you think will ever see a black bear or a ponderosa pine? Seeing these places change so quickly made me think I should go out and see what America has before it’s all different.”
His journey — in a vegetable oil and solar-powered Winnebago — isn’t over. But you can see his photos so far at Ann Jackson Gallery, 932 Canton St. in Roswell. The gallery’s regular hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays; noon-5 p.m. Sundays. More info. at the gallery’s website and at Webb’s site or by calling 770-993-4783.
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E. Lynn Harris: Too Good to be True?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Atlanta’s E. Lynn Harris has always been an overachiever. When he attended the University of Arkansas, he was the school’s first black yearbook editor and the first black male Razorbacks cheerleader.
He sold computers for a while, but soon found his calling: popular fiction. Starting with “Invisible Life,” he has rattled off a string of novels, which increasingly have placed higher and higher on best-seller lists.
His latest is “Just Too Good to be True, but it’s not his autobiography. He’ll be at the Stonecrest Mall Borders in Lithonia at 7 p.n. tonight (July 24) singing and melting the ladies’ hearts. Come on, you know who you are! Expect lines, so come early.
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