By Sarah Valek
Performances at Talespinner Children’s Theatre (TCT) are always a joy to see. Even though this theater troupe is still fairly new (The Tinderbox is their third show), TCT has managed to formulate a winning plan for presenting theatre to kids.
The Tinderbox, a retelling of the Hans Christian Andersen story, centers around a soldier whose fortunes are changed upon encountering a witch, a tinderbox and three dogs. Throughout the play the soldier’s actions pivot from self-serving to well-meaning, from good to not-so-good. And she (yes, the soldier is a woman — kudos for deviating from fairy tale tradition and making a woman the “brave one” in a story) finds herself at times rich, then poor, then rich again.
Does she get rewarded with riches when she performs good deeds? Do good things necessarily happen to good people? That’s a big question asked in the play. The Tinderbox goes deep and encourages kids to think about the complexities of character.
Two steampunk-esque quasi-narrators, Demetrius and Artem, chime in as the play unfolds, asking questions about the soldier: “Is she good or bad?” and discussing how people can generally be good but occasionally act badly — a welcome departure from the good guy vs. bad guy narratives frequently fed to children. Demetrius and Artem drive home points of the story and provide kids with food for thought. Of course, the show is lighthearted and elicited laughs from most people in the audience.
The performance is steeped in visual appeal. The dogs aren’t just dogs in furry costumes — they’re creatures with big glowing eyes resembling headlights. The visuals, combined with the close proximity to the stage (seriously no bad seats here) make for a mesmerizing show. Kids of all ages — adults too — appeared captivated; this truly is an all-ages performance.
A cool extra: on TCT’s webpage you can download a Teacher’s Guide offering background history, craft ideas and activities to try based on The Tinderbox.
If you’re looking for a high quality, multicultural theatre experience, look no further than Talespinner Children’s Theatre. Perhaps my son, who’s 5, could give the most meaningful review. After the show, he said, “I LOVED it! Can we go back again?” It doesn’t get much better than that.
The Tinderbox, presented by Talespinner Children’s Theatre, runs through Sun 4/28. Performances are Fridays 1PM & 7PM; Saturdays 2PM & 7PM; Sundays 2PM @ the Reinberger Auditorium in the Detroit Shoreway neighborhood. Go support this fantastic organization! http://TalespinnerChildrensTheatre.org
Cool Cleveland editor Sarah Valek graduated from Ithaca College with a double-major in arts and writing. After graduation, she came back to Cleveland and served as an AmeriCorps*VISTA with the Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless. She can be found on all sides of the city in pursuit of homeschooling activities and the perfect soy latte. Contact her at CoolEditorATCoolCleveland.com.
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