This holiday season, take a break from the holiday hoopla with a brilliant play at the Know Theatre of Cincinnati. Their one family friendly show of the season, Sideways Stories from Wayside School, is playing now through December 26th. Children are certain to enjoy the humorous stories, yet the adults will enjoy this piece of contemporary theatre as well.
Based on the books in the Wayside School series by Lois Sachar, the first originally published in 1978, Sideways Stories from Wayside School has been adapted for the stage by John Olive into a fun tale revolving around five students at Wayside School. Myron (Chris Wesselman), Bebe (Alison Vodnoy), Dameon (DarNell Benjamin), Leslie (Annie Kalahurka) and Rondi (Catherine Prevett) have a mean teacher, Mrs. Gorf (Dylan Shelton) who turns students into apples at the smallest misbehavior. Her spell soon backfires on her and she is instead turned into an apple. She is replaced by a lovable teacher, Mrs. Jewls (Liz Vosmeier). Mrs. Gorf makes a return through Mr. Gorf, who is actually her son seeking revenge for his mother's demise as an apple. The children and their teacher work together to navigate their sideways lives at their crazy, mixed up school.
Sachar's first book in the Wayside School series is comprised of 30 short stories, each one providing the tale of a different character, which can leave the reader with a bit of a disjointed feeling. However with Olive's book and Jason Ballweber's directing, that is not the case for this adaptation. Each character's story is woven seamlessly into the plot line, unlike the short chapters of the book that start and end abruptly. The imaginative creative team and talented actors make this production one that is not to be missed. Seeing how they make Leslie's pigtails come alive or how Mrs. Jewls writes on the chalkboard from across the room is a showcase of the talent of the creative team. And the actors put their hearts into their characters, making their performances enjoyable to watch.
What I liked most about this production is the multi-generational aspect of the story. As clichéd as it sounds, there truly is something for everyone here. From elementary school children to teenagers, kids will definitely enjoy the jokes and silliness. Even adults can relate to the story. Who hasn't had a mean teacher or experienced the fear of trying to come up with the right answer in front of everyone? Younger children may be a little frightened by Shelton's fabulous portrayal of Mrs. Gorf or, at the very least, may have a lot of the intricacies of the story go over their head. However the small, intimate atmosphere of the Know Theatre allows for the perfect opportunity to expose children to well done contemporary theatre, without the glitz and the glamour of a Disney show.
Sideways Stories from Wayside School runs through December 26th at the Know Theatre. Tickets to all Know Theatre productions are $12 in advance and $15 on the day of the performance. You can purchase online at http://www.knowtheatre.com or call the Know Theatre box office at (513) 300-KNOW (5669).
