Theater review

ORONO — A theater filled with laughing children is a wonderful place to be. Hearing young voices chatter and laugh, and watching young eyes glimmer with intrigue are certainly the highlights of the Theater of the Enchanted Forest production “The Tingalary Bird,” playing Friday through Sunday, June 22-24, at the Pavilion Theater.

A mixture of folktale and fantasy, “The Tingalary Bird” tells the story of a mean old woman, her ineffectual husband, and their defunct country inn, which becomes a metaphor for their equally dilapidated marriage.

The old woman, played fervently by Mary Olson, hoards her money, locks her prized possessions in a cabinet, and refuses to admit guests to the establishment. She is humorless, calculating, and cruel. Olson presents a well-developed character, and her facial expressions are animated and entertaining. Her voice is impressively powerful and frightening, though the cadence is at times redundant.

The old man is a pitiable fellow. His life is ruled by the tyranny of his wife, so when the caged tingalary bird mysteriously arrives at the inn, he quickly aligns himself with it. The affinity between the two gives the man the confidence and strength he needs to confront his wife.

Eventually, her hidden nest egg of money is revealed and she is forced to share it with her husband.

As the old man, David Wells is frequently funny and, like Olson, has some incredible facial control and variation.

Patty Olson, as the bird, wears a fascinating costume designed by costumer Justin Stover. Because Olson has so few spoken lines, the costume and her physical movements become critically important for the development of her character. However, Olson frequently has her face turned away from the audience, and she hasn’t brought enough dynamism to the characterization to suggest accurately the mysticism that the bird supposedly represents.

The real star of the show is unquestionably Christopher Rock’s amazing set. He has completely transformed the Pavilion Theater into a magical forest, one that recalls the dark adventures of the Grimms’ tales. Rock is also responsible for the scenes in which characters actually fly across the stage, and his technical creativity is commendable.

In the final analysis, the acting, set and special lighting effects have to carry the show because the script simply isn’t very interesting, entertaining or thought-provoking. The focus of the show becomes the attainment of money rather than the recovery of a marriage. There’s a suggestion that something has changed in the household, that friendship and laughter have become the new way of life, but we don’t see this clearly. The supposed marital resolution isn’t half as illuminated as the pieces of gold that are strewn across that stage. This doesn’t seem to be a particularly enlightening — or enlightened — message.

The performance, however, does have appeal for children, whose laughs will surely fill the enchanted forest of this production.

“The Tingalary Bird” by Mary Melwood will be performed at 7 p.m. June 22, 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. June 23, and 2 p.m. June 24 at the Pavilion Theater, University of Maine, Orono. For tickets, call 581-1755.