Review: DRAWING LESSONS at Children's Theatre Company

Change is hard for anyone but especially for a twelve year old girl who doesn’t understand why they have to pick up their lives and move one city over, seemingly for no reason.

Drawing Lessons, the newest world premiere play that Children’s Theatre Company has mounted, tackles that very issue. When Kate, a Korean American twelve year old’s mother passes, her father decides it is best to move them from St. Paul to Minneapolis. Hoping to create a new life for him and his daughter, Matt strives to convince Kate that the move is a positive thing, a fresh start. Kate, being unsure and uncomfortable with the change begins to seek an outlet to cope with the new normal. When she stumbles into an art supply store at her fathers behest, she is introduced to a new world where art, specifically comics, begins to open her eyes to new possibilities. With a new dream in her sights, she sets out to become a comic strip artist with mixed reactions from those around her, culminating in a showdown between those who believe in the power of art and those who choose to simply dismiss it as “doodles”.

Playwright, Michi Barall, has created a story that feels extremely authentic to the audience. Setting the story in Minneapolis in 1995, she has created a setting that will be fresh to younger patrons but feel extremely nostalgic to the older generations. From Kate’s use of her walkman as she traverses the streets of Minneapolis (blaring 90’s classic tunes), to the references to Camp Snoopy at the Mall of America, the audience is transported to the 90’s in simple but effective fashion.

Barall does a great job of setting the scene, her play is a masterclass in story telling. She has drawn her characters with such life and realism that it almost feels like this is a completely true story that is playing out in front of the audience. Each character is given multiple depths and none of them come across as extraneous to the story. They are each given their time to shine and provide depth throughout Kate’s journey of coming to terms with her new life.

While the script provides the meat of the story, it is heightened to a new levels with the incredible scenic, projection, and illustration designs all working in tandem to bring this world to life. While it is set in the real world, these three designers (Junghyun Georgia Lee, Elizabeth Barrett, and Blue Delliquanti) bring a fantastical and enchanting element to the story. Simply said, they draw us into the story with their innovative designs that make Drawing Lessons more of a comic book come to life and less of a realistic story being played out on stage.

Providing the heart of the show on opening night was Olivia Lampert as Kate (there are two talented actresses who take on the role throughout the run). Her transformation from the shy and uncomfortable Kate that we are introduced to at the start, into the more confident aspiring artist that she starts to become is beyond endearing. She portrays Kate’s hesitation to take risks with such vulnerability, that when we finally see her attempt to claim her place in the world, the audience can’t help but root for her success.

Lampert is equally matched with Matt Park who takes on the role of Kate’s charmingly hyper father who only wants the best for her, Sophina Saggau who embodies Kate’s fear inducing and too strict for her own good, teacher Miss Evans, and Katie Bradley who takes on the role of the wildly fierce great aunt, Gomo.

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