Playhouse presents musical parable

Tom Titus

Greed and redemption are familiar themes around this time of the year

-- witness South Coast Repertory’s annual staging of Charles Dickens’

“A Christmas Carol,” now in its 24th incarnation.

At the Laguna Playhouse, those elements form the backbone of a

delightful little message play with a full musical score in the form

of “The Quiltmaker’s Gift,” presented by the playhouse’s Youth

Theater as a West Coast premiere.

Alan J. Prewitt’s stage adaptation of the children’s book by Jeff

Brumbeau and Gail de Marcken has been set to music by composer Craig

Bohmler and lyricist Steven Mark Kohn. And, rather than use “canned”

music as has been done in the past, director Donna Inglima recruited

a six-piece orchestra under the baton of Diane King Vann which keeps

the tempo humming nicely.

This deceptively simple fable centers on an avaricious king who

declares he’ll celebrate two birthdays a year so that his subjects

can shower him with gifts at double their former pace. Yet this ruler

who has everything can’t avail himself of the one treasure he covets

most.

That would be a handmade quilt from the “quiltmaker” of the play’s

title, a mysterious woman who makes her creations only as gifts for

those in need -- and which can’t be purchased for a king’s ransom.

The bulk of the show involves a series of faceoffs between these two

characters, and we all know which one will capitulate.

The Laguna show benefits from the talents of two superior

performers in these key roles. Karan Founds-Benton as the title

character gleefully holds the ruler at bay and overcomes whatever

obstacles he thrusts at he -- including a night in a cave with a

hungry bear and being stranded on a tiny island. She also possesses a

fine, melodic singing voice capable of overpowering an enthusiastic

orchestra.

Cory W. Casoni revels in the role of the king, espousing his

“greed is good” philosophy musically and comically with enough of a

tongue-in-cheek flair to keep the audience in his corner. The show’s

creators have given him a tender heart beneath his despotic outer

surface and Casoni excels in illustrating this aspect of his

character.

Unfolding the story is a wise old man, played by James Harris, who

enthralls a young boy (Ryan Morris) with this enthralling folk tale.

Jay Skovec enacts the bear with a rich, non-threatening gruffness

which melts under the quiltmaker’s spell.

Dwight Richard Odle functions as designer of both settings and

costumes, and his colorful representations in both areas are

splendid. Particularly impressive is the main set piece, a large

square which houses the king’s court, the quiltmaker’s shop and the

bear’s cave, among other venues.

Far from being a revival of some fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm,

“The Quiltmaker’s Gift” only dates from its 2001 publication as a

children’s book, and the musical production has involved since then.

It’s a morality play, spiced by a sprightly score, that will

entertain children and adults alike.

* TOM TITUS reviews local theater for the Coastline Pilot.