I've mentioned before that one of my favorite parts of attending a production at Children's Theatre Company is the opportunity to see the production through the eyes of our 4 year-old son. That remains the case, but it also can be difficult to fully appreciate our son's experience while drawn deeply into the production myself, when experiencing it with my own eyes. Snowflake was just one of those productions.
With its roots in the CTC backshop dating back 25 years, Snowflake has returned to CTC for an anniversary run. In Snowflake, Gale LaJoye brings to life the story of one man who by his depicted place of residence appears to have nothing. What he creates (for the audience and for his dear puppet friend) is far from that. With creative wit and slapstick humor he finds magic in ordinary objects to be something more than they are. A suitcase is turned into a puppy dog and a stack of crates becomes a ski jump. I found myself enjoying moments of laughter and wonder with our son (and the rest of the audience), but also enjoyed those moments that were heartfelt. I can still see his persistent effort to bring about a smile from his puppet and their tender goodnight routine. Without dialogue, snowflake is fully engaging.
If it has been some time since you have treated yourself to a live theatre performance, Snowflake may be just the production to see. Bring along a child (or two) and see if you are not talking about Snowflake as much as they are for days to come. Snowflake, written, directed and performed by Gayle LaJoye runs through February 22nd. Click here for schedule and ticket information.
Tickets to attend a performance were provided to me for purpose of review but the review of Snowflake is my own.
