As good as some theatre shows are, every now and then some element of a production comes across as something that could have only come about by chance and blind luck. Sometimes something comes out of a production that seems so beautifully elegant that it doesn't feel like it could have possibly been intentional. For me, the character of "Stunner" in Alchemist Theatre's production of Robbie McGhee's puppet musical The Burden of Being is like that.
That's him up above. He's kind of an awkward kid. A monster minority living in a small town. And so he's a puppet. And since this is a musical set in a certain point in our nation's history, he wants to become famous on America's Funniest Home Videos and meet Bob Saget. Awkward, right? But there's something beautiful in him with which he hasn't quite become in synch. He hasn't realized that no one becomes famous through AFV. But there's enough in the script to suggest he's actually quite clever and talented. There's something in him that's much more elegant than the awkwardness.
The way this manifests itself onstage is really, really cool. So cool that it doesn't seem entirely intentional. The puppet itself is kind of awkward--big eyes that never close. A perpetual expression of surprise. The woman performing through the puppet is a perfect match for the namesake of the character, though. Hayley San Fillippo has got a wit and charm about her that feels very casual and quietly overwhelming. She's a perfect representation of who the character is on the inside. She's a perfect representation of the character's potential. He's just awkward on the outside because he's just a kid.
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He's just a supporting character, but thanks to San Fillippo, you want him to succeed. You want him to realize his potential and end up more like her. It's the type of thing that wouldn't have come about without puppetry . . . that graphic dynamic of a deliberately crude puppet matched with a very elegant actress. I'm probably reading way too much into it, but it's a fun pairing. Intentional or not, I wish that the show had more elements to it that were as interesting as the Stunner/San Fillippo pairing.
The Burden of Being runs through August 31st at the Alchemist Theatre. For ticket reservations, visit www.thealchemisttheatre.com. A full review of the show runs in the next Shepherd-Express.
