‘The Old Man and the Old Moon” is a hauntingly beautiful production, filled with ingenious lighting effects, lovely shadow puppetry and an accomplished and original folk music score.
So why did I find it nearly insufferable?
Maybe because it seems so taken by its own cleverness that an audience feels redundant. Or perhaps because all of its theatrical ingenuity has been employed for a twee fable that evaporates even as you watch it. That said, many theatergoers I saw it with were clearly charmed by this Pigpen Theater Co. piece, which makes the equally whimsical “Peter and the Starcatcher” seem gritty.
Its young, seven-member ensemble — all recent graduates of the Carnegie Mellon School of Drama — greet you as soon as you enter the cramped confines of the Judson Gym, singing and playing fiddle, banjo and accordion.
After this rousing musical opening, the story, such as it is, commences.
On a stage festooned with strung-up sheets, wooden planks and vintage lamps, we meet the old man (Ryan Melia) whose job it is to refill the light that spills from the moon. His wife has vanished in search of a mysterious melody, and he sets off to find her — encountering along the way a ragtag group of sailors, sea creatures and ghosts.
“I anticipate a series of adventures of increasing improbability,” says the sea captain, who takes the old man onboard, and boy is he right. The fantastical narrative is frequently interrupted by such pronouncements as “And that was the moment a star flew out of the sky and blew up our ship.”
The show is often visually enchanting, as when a dragon’s face is suggested by lights shone through a sheet, or a raft is assembled out of blankets held up by the performers. The score, already available on the troupe’s debut CD, is tuneful enough to stand on its own, and the performers inhabit their characters with endless enthusiasm.
I just wish I could have joined in the fun.