THE CRICKET IN TIMES SQUARE
at Strawdog Theatre
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The tale itself is a classic of simplicity. A Connecticut cricket named Chester, lost in a Times Square subway station, is befriended by Mario, a young boy whose family owns a less-than-successful newsstand. Mario’s mother is not real keen on Chester, but when his musical talent emerges–Chester, it turns out, can play Italian opera by rubbing his wings together–she turns into his biggest fan. As Chester begins to draw huge crowds to the newsstand, Mario’s family makes its fortune.
In addition to good material, Lifeline is blessed with a terrific ensemble for Cricket. An energetic bunch, they’re obviously having a great time. James E. Grote, playing Tucker, is a perfect guide through this adventure–friendly, funny, but not at all coy. Mara Polster takes on the dual roles of Harry and Mama with much gusto and versatility: she screeches into song as Harry, then plucks heartstrings with Mama’s operatic turn. And Dawn Bach, as Chester, elicits sighs with her violin playing.
Though we know just where Downer’s sympathies lie, the resolution to this conflict is actually more subtle than we might have expected. That’s to his credit. Frog isn’t much in many ways, but it has a real intelligence at work. And that bodes well for this young group.
