Allentown, Pa. (June 17, 2016)—For the past two seasons, the theatre company Doppelskope has created world-premiere musicals for young audiences at the Muhlenberg Summer Music Theatre. In 2014, they presented "Gruff!" a troll's eye view of the story of the three billy goats Gruff, and last season it was "Grimm!" a tale of the storytelling Brothers Grimm and their quest to chase down their escaped stories with the help of a rambunctious little girl.
This season, MSMT and Doppelskope will complete the "Grilogy" with another new show, "Growl!" — playing June 29 through July 30. "Growl!" brings Doppelskope's energetic, innovative puppetry, lively music, and interactive theatrical spirit to the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears.
Co-authors Ora Fruchter and Christopher Scheer describe "Growl!" as a "zany reinvention" of the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears, in which a group of woodland creatures has come together to solve a series of break-ins by a certain mysterious blonde figure. They are led by an imaginative young bear who likes to be known as Danger Bear, and who has no time for breakfast while the world needs a hero to make freedom sing in the hearts of all animal-kind.
"Our inspiration always comes from a lot of different sources," Scheer says. "For 'Growl!' we've spent a lot of time thinking about what made us laugh as children, and what still makes our inner-children laugh now. So as we got ready to write the show, we spent some time researching the cartoons we grew up watching — Chip and Dale, Roadrunner, Bugs Bunny, and lots of other classic cartoons. We like to create comedy that works on at least two levels, so that we can engage adults just as much as we engage kids."
The eight-member cast of "Growl!" plays an ensemble of woodland animals, who in turn present the story of Goldilocks and the Bear family through puppetry. The cast members also play all the music themselves, on instruments ranging from washboard and stand-up bass to banjo and accordion — all while selling the audience a variety of woodland merchandise such as Hats, Buckets, Porridge, and Four-Month Energy Drink (the alternative to hibernating).
"We want our audiences to laugh in a deep, satisfying way," Fruchter says. "And we want them to walk away amazed by the possibilities of live theater, puppetry and imagination."
"Growl!" features a script by Fruchter and Scheer, with music composed by Tony Singer, who also serves as musical director. Fruchter, Scheer and Singer also made up the core creative team for both "Gruff!" and "Grimm!" The team's show has evolved from recorded musical accompaniment, the first year, to live piano accompaniment last year, to this year's approach of letting the actors accompany themselves.
"Toby has created this super-catchy, playful score for us," Scheer says. "And because of our actor-musicians, we're able to have fantastic live music throughout the show."
Scheer says that the group's puppetry has also evolved, both in the design and in performance. The show uses both tabletop puppets, created by Fruchter, and detailed shadow puppetry, projected on giant screens to create "surprisingly cinematic moments" throughout the show.
"We're really exploring and innovating what's possible with puppetry on stage," he says. "We're learning quite a lot as we experiment, with some really exciting results. Ora's puppets are beautiful and hilarious. They're like cartoon characters come to life, and they create this fantastic connection with the audience."
Young audiences members can participate in a free 45-minute Imagination Workshop, following every performance of "Growl!" Participants will join members of the cast to explore the themes of the show through movement, storytelling, and creative play. Participants can register in advance through the box office or on the MSMT website.
Cast members are available after the show to meet the audience and sign autographs.
A Sensory-Friendly Performance of "Growl!" will be presented on Saturday, July 23 at 1 p.m. The performance will be followed by an interactive Imagination Workshop. Sensory-friendly performances are designed for children with autism and other sensory challenges. At these performances, sound levels are reduced, and startling sounds are avoided; lights remain on at a low level during performance, and strobes and other flashy lights are omitted; patrons are free to talk or leave their seats during the show; and attendance is limited. Social stories will be available in advance from the MSMT website, and the theater staff and cast will receive special training in meeting the needs of patrons with autism and sensory issues.
American Sign Language interpreters will interpret the 10 a.m. performance on Saturday, July 23. The interpreters will be available prior to the show and following the show at the meet-the-cast session and Imagination Workshop. All patrons are welcome to attend.
"Growl!" runs June 29 through July 30 in the Studio Theatre, Trexler Pavilion for Theatre & Dance. Performances are Wednesday through Saturday at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. All tickets to "Growl!" are $10 for June performances and $12 for July performances.
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Tickets and information are available at www.muhlenberg.edu/SMT or 484-664-3333.