There's something inherrently _wrong_ with "The Green Bird", now playing at Curio Theater (Thursdays-Sundays tickets $10-20)). Written in 18th century Italy by Carlo Gozzi, it's costumes, antics, and trappings, like a shiny ball, immediately appeal to children, but the story is anything but child-friendly. No, "The Green Bird" is a romp for grownups. The plot is very loose and each performance is vastly different from the one before as actors create a new play every night fueled by audience participation and improv. The humor tends towards perverse, but thankfully the audience is armed with bells upon entering the theater and if the script delves too far into tasteless territory, everybody has the Chuck Berris power to stop the antics by sounding off. In fact, during the performance I went to, there was often a chorus of bell-ringing (and occasionally hooting) as the innuendo built.
"The Green Bird" is actually two plays in one. Ninetta, the Queen of Monterotondo, secretly banished and torn from her children by the King's jealous mother, wanders the forest alone while the king, Tartaglia, pines for her memory. This is a serious and tender tale of loss and regret and is played seriously, and stunningly by capable actors (whom I would mention by name if I had a program). Wrapped around this, like a clown wig on the Venus Di Milo, is the story of Truffaldino and Smeraldina, sausage makers to the king who have, unbeknownst to anyone, adopted the missing prince and princess. It is here the ribald jokes leak out. The two have a Punch and Judy style relationship of insults and bickering as well as the basest of instincts. Leave the kids at home and have a night of naughty fun. I'm going to go back and check it out again on Thursday if anybody wants to go. You can buy tickets beforehand at: http://www.curiotheatre.org/ kc ---- You are receiving this because you are subscribed to the list named "UnivCity." To unsubscribe or for archive information, see <http://www.purple.com/list.html>.
