48 HOURS
Three companies have merged their expertise on a magical theater
experience for the whole family titled "When Tigers Smoked Long
Pipes," continuing at 8 tonight at The Victory Theatre Center in
Burbank.
The collaboration is between The Victory Theatre, The Lodestone
Theatre Ensemble and The Orphans Theater Company.
Angela Kang of Orphans Theater Company wrote the play, which is
receiving its world premiere at The Victory.
"When I wrote this play, I wrote it with adults in mind, but I
wanted to bring my grandmother and young cousins to something that
would appeal broadly to many age groups," she said. "Folk tales
appeal to all ages."
The production is a series of five Korean folk tales with the
common theme of transformation.
In one story, an adolescent girl becomes a lotus blossom and
transforms into a grown woman. The girl has to sacrifice her life to
help her father, and marry a dragon king under the sea, but the
marriage doesn't work out. It represents the girl blossoming into the
woman she is to become to be married to the right person.
Kang recommends the show for children 8 to 13.
"I think they will connect with those stories on a real basic
level because they are real human stories with comic elements," she
said.
Korean drums will give children a great sensory experience while
the scenery will captivate their attention, she added.
Robert Shinso, who is Lodestone Theatre Ensemble's
actor/director/technical expert, created the sets.
The play is a magical journey combining elements of narrative
style, movement and music, Shinso said. The characters become
narrators and help move the story along.
"We are bringing to life Korean folk-tale figures, such as the
cunning Tiger, the strong single Mother, the patriarchal God, the
hapless young Woodcutter and the brave and devoted Maiden," he said.
His sets transform during the tale through lighting.
"In one story, we go from a village into a raging storm at sea and
then back up to the land to a king's palace," Shinso said. "The scope
in how you tell it in the space and time, that's where the
imagination comes in. The audience will create in their own mind what
they want to see."
The production reminds adults of the joy of life and the
transformations of life, said Maria Gobetti, artistic director for
The Victory.
"I think the writing and Robert's direction are magical," she
said. "This is a gorgeous piece with a set that is a real delight
visually. And the story is emotionally very fulfilling."
