Acadia Repertory Theater slips into familiar `Red Shoes’

Theater review

Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale “The Red Shoes,” now playing on Fridays at Acadia Repertory Theater in Somesville, teaches a timeless lesson about greed, power and compassion. Whoever wears the magical red shoes is forced to dance without reprieve. Unless the shoes are removed by the powerful button hook, the wearer will eventually die from exhaustion. Whoever holds the tool wields the power over the shoes.

In this production, the gypsy mountebank Snogg comes to town for the Midsummer’s Day Festival and gives the shoes to Karen, a young Danish maiden, so he may exploit her dancing skills to gain money for himself. Snogg is the great conniver, an impresario of greed and power, and he twists the truth to lure the naive girl into his plan.

With the help of Nels, an apprentice cobbler, and Jemmo, Snogg’s clown, Karen finally does reclaim her liberty, but Snogg’s magic tool and the red shoes must be destroyed. The power they hold is unreasonable in an imperfect world where greed and control are undeniable temptations.

The hero of the story becomes Jemmo, who is mute, but whose lesson shouts about the importance of love and compassion. At the opening of the story, Jemmo is bound to Snogg, but as she witnesses his cruelty toward Karen, she can no longer align herself with him. Clothed as a blind man, she becomes the instrumental force that fights for Karen’s freedom. In doing so, Jemmo restores and enhances Karen’s life.

The Acadia Repertory production of “The Red Shoes” gets off to a slow start but picks up energy as the plot moves ahead. With a sparse set and Danish-style costuming, the show offers a traditional and straightforward approach to this tale. It might have been interesting to see director Ken Stack take some risks with this tale, which is rich in contemporary possibilities, but the actors present several funny moments and the final scene is genuinely touching. Performances by Darren Campbell (Snogg) and Jenna Moskowitz (Jemmo) are particularly entertaining.

“The Red Shoes” will be performed at 1 p.m. Fridays and alternating Saturdays through August at the Acadia Repertory Theater in Somesville. “Charlotte’s Web” also will be performed at 1 p.m. on Wednesdays and alternating Saturdays through August. For tickets, call 244-7260.