Review: FAC's ELEPHANT AND PIGGIE Good, Silly Fun

It is my not-very-humble opinion that Mo Willems' Elephant and Piggie series ranks among the best early reader books available. The pachyderm-and-porcine duo gallivant through a series of adventures in the same spirit Dr. Seuss first embraced when he started writing about felines and their headgear: all readers, regardless of age or ability level, deserve to be entertained. Elephant and Piggie's "We Are in a Play!", the Fine Arts Center's current second stage production, takes that commitment to entertainment and runs with it in sixty minutes of lighthearted silliness, parties, dancing, unexpected drama, and good times with best friends.

The free-flowing play goes through several episodes based on the books, as anxious, overly cautious Elephant Gerald (Sam Pribyl) and enthusiastic Piggie (Arielle Miagkov) experience various child-accessible trials and tribulations, accompanied by a girl-group Greek chorus called the Squirelles (Olivia English, Casey Fetters, Gabby Papa). Willems' script ably transfers the repetitive beginning-reader format ("I will teach you." "You will teach me?") to a dramatic setting, complete with lively songs (my personal favorite: Piggie's ode to her new toy, taking a page from Beethoven's Ninth). Janson Fangio's costumes creatively distill the essence of the characters, with Gerald in a stuffy grey suit and bowler hat and Piggie in a fluffy, frilly pink dress.

The teenage cast, all representatives of FAC's Youth Repertory Theatre, perform with the eager enthusiasm that children respond to; Miagkov's cheerful Piggie being a notable highlight. Although some of the smallest audience members got restless near the end of the running time, everyone seemed to enjoy themselves immensely. My six-year-old was a big fan of the dancing, while my three-year-old loved the part with Gerald and his ice-cream (no doubt because he recognized it from the books). Speaking of the books, they're available for purchase outside the theater (and the cast will sign them) on the off chance your kids haven't read them. Trust me, they don't know what they're missing.

ELEPHANT AND PIGGIE'S "WE ARE IN A PLAY!" runs now through October 18th at the Fine Arts Center, Friday and Saturday at 6pm, Saturday and Sunday at 1pm and Sunday at 4pm. For tickets, contact the box office at 719-634-5581 or visit csfineartscenter.org.

PHOTO CREDIT: Kristen Williams

Arielle Miagkov, Sam Pribyl