Rats aren’t usually a welcome sight in New York City, but you can’t help laughing at those currently infesting Theater 154 in the West Village.
Actually actors in fuzzy ponchos and masks, these rodents bring humor and fancy footwork to “The Pied Piper of Hamelin.” Written by Amina Henry and presented by Project Y Theater as part of the Women in Theater Festival, this adaptation has its furry pests perform ballet as they trash a playground. When the town sets out neck-snapping traps, the delighted creatures turn them into castanets for a flamenco number. (The production’s director, Michole Biancosino, choreographed the dances with the cast; Summer Lee Jack designed the costumes.)
The play also gives central roles to Hamelin’s children, played here by talented young adults. The juvenile characters’ earnestness and wry commentary contrast comically with the surrounding grown-ups’ venality.
Yet this “Pied Piper,” which has its final performances on Thursday, Saturday and Sunday at 7 p.m., remains a dark fable. Theatergoers may wish that it concluded with another clever twist. But those who are the recommended ages — 8 to 12 — may have already realized that adults (and especially politicians) can’t always be trusted.
The Women in Theatre Festival seeks to broaden the opportunities for women in the entertainment industry by producing new work by women with more than 50% representation of all artists involved. Our festival is a model of going beyond parity, as we commission and produce new works by women+ writers, devisers, and creators, develop an audience interested in feminist theatre, and foster opportunities that center interdisciplinary practices and experimentation. More Women. More Theatre. All the Time.
For more information, click here to view the official WIT website.
