Review: A Magical MR. AND MRS. PENNYWORTH

Spell-bindingly creative and moving, Lookingglass Theatre Company's MR. AND MRS. PENNYWORTH, written and directed by Loogkingglass ensemble member Doug Hara, is a family-friendly feast for the eyes.

Mr. Pennyworth (and equally introverted and animated Samuel Taylor) is a storyteller charged by the Norse god Odin with keeping all tales vibrant. OK, Odin is most concerned with keeping his story alive, but husband and wife extend their task to include all stories.

He is accompanied on his task by Mrs. Pennyworth (a charming and heartfelt performance by Lindsey Noel Whiting). Thanks to a pair of crystals that contain part of the Bifröst (the rainbow bridge that connects the earth to Asgard, the Norse realm of the gods), the couple are able to venture magically to any place on earth or even the storybook realm. Mr. and Mrs. Pennyworth have used the latter in order to form a deep connection with all of the characters of the stories they tell and that's where are adventure begins.

After an average day of storytelling has concluded, the pair receive a visit from one of the three little pigs (puppetry by both Taylor and Whiting). Piggy knows he's not supposed to be in the real world, but he doesn't know where else to turn. The big bad wolf has been killed (as in permanently, not in the context of a story). Given that the wolf is featured prominently in a number of fairy tales (The Three Little Pigs, Little Red Riding Hood and The Wolf and the Seven Little Goats, among others), this is a very big deal. With no antagonist, the stories themselves hold no sway and people stop telling them. When no one tells your tale, you cease to exist. Fearing a ripple effect that will destroy all of the story world, Mr. and Mrs. Pennyworth must venture into the fables, unravel the mystery and set things right.

Hara's production succeeds in feeling both epic and intimate, but the true stars of the show are Blair Thomas' small and large scale puppet designs, shadow puppet animations by Drew Dir, Sarah Fornace and Julie Miller (for Manual Cinema Studios) and projection design by Mike Tutaj. All manage to conjure up some magical imagery that enhances the tapestry of the storytelling. The puppets -deftly manipulated by both Taylor and Whiting, are awe-inspiring. Two puppets really stand out: Fenrir, a wolf responsible for the destruction of the world and the giant boar Sæhrimnir, both of Norse mythology. The production sparks the imagination and gets at the heart of why storytelling matters.

MR. AND MRS. PENNYWORTH plays through Feb. 19, 2017 at the Lookingglass Theatre Company in the Water Tower Water Works, 821 N. Michigan. Tickets $40-$75. 312.337.0665 or lookingglasstheatre.org.

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