Loisaida United Neighborhood Gardens (LUNGS) & WIT Festival’s The Pied Piper of Hamelin
CZECH AND BENGALI STORIES WITH PUPPETS: Photos by N. Jesson The Pied Piper Photos by Clinton B Photography
Summer weekends in NYC are joyously packed with theater festivals, and this weekend, I immersed myself in children’s theatre. One day was puppets in a Lower Eastside Community Garden white the next day was a classic in the West Village followed by my first ever trip to Wicked on Broadway. (No need to review a 20 year old production that's been constantly running, but will mention the mega-show as a point of reference.)
Saturday was my first experience at a LUNGS (Loisaida United Community Gardens). A beautiful summer day, complete with puppets, poetry and an original play. Featuring the work of people from the neighborhood, it was a celebration of diverse cultures just like the Lower Eastside itself. Children in the audience joined in the performance casting magic spells in The Twelve Months, and hoping to get the tiger back into its cage in The Naughty Tiger. After the puppets followed a poet and a play, El Tendedro by Regina Romero. The lighthearted comedy one-act which made even gentrification funny.
Sunday, I headed west to The Project Theatre Company’s WIT Festival at 15 Christopher Street and caught The Pied Piper. This sharp rendition was written by Amina Henry and directed by Michole Biancosino. Smart and contemporary, the too political mayor, deftly played by Nate Kelderman spends too much time making speeches and not enough time helping his townsfolk. It’s no wonder the cables from his microphone run directly to his gold toilet! Beautifully and cleverly costumed by Summer Lee Jack, the ensemble all takes its turn making up the over abundant rat population. Miller J. Kraps sparkles as the piper who is betrayed by the town and goes from savior to sinister. Great fun for the whole family.
My last stop was Wicked. And I must tell you – for all its spectacle, I watched children all weekend being just as happy casting spells on puppets and hiding their eyes from rapping rats. Whether your budget is nothing or everything, there is great theatre to be seen in NYC this summer.
LUNGS 3rd Annual Theater Festival: The Naughty Tiger Created and Performed by Sayma Karim; The Twelve Months Created and Performed by Vit Horejs
Review by Nicole Jesson.
Published by Theatre Beyond Broadway on June 12th, 2024. All rights reserved.