Hogwash - Review050

As we walked into the Historic University Theater to see Hogwash-An Improvised Tale for Small Children, a live band played jazzy tunes and the musicians invited our young companions to dance. To the right of the stage, a man was busy organizing a table with colored markers, paper, tape, and other interesting items. Soon, the Hogwash troupe bounded onto the stage and announced enthusiastically that they were going to perform stories that had never been told before and would never be told again - and that they were going to need the audience's help. First, they asked for volunteers to help dress one of the players. Two children followed the actor over to a pile of costumes and selected her outfit. Meanwhile, another troupe member asked the audience for a favorite word. "Newspaper!" was shouted out. When the now-dressed-up actor returned to the stage, she was wearing a sequined vest over a Chinese-style shirt, and a knit hat. The audience was asked what she looked like. Someone said, "A movie star!" So, the first story was about a movie star and newspapers. For the next hour or so, the Hogwash team made up and acted out two stories right on the spot, the band accompanied the stage action with improvised music, and the man with the paper and pens created instantaneous props for the actors to use. Oh yes, and the lighting and sound folks were also busy keeping up. At the end of each story, the troupe made up a song for a grand finale. The tales were creative and original, the actors were funny and engaging, and the show was just long (or short) enough for young attention spans. Hogwash runs through November 18 and offers an enjoyable way to spend an hour on Saturdays this fall.