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At the intermission of the Arden’s family theater performance, the lady behind me commented, "It’s awfully quiet for having so many kids in here."
Indeed, it was a perfectly quiet first act of Gertrude Warner’s adaptation of the classic children’s book The Boxcar Children. And yes, three-quarters of the audience were kids.
This silence could mean one of two things: Either the children and their parents were so bored that they slipped into a quiet slumber or they were held so spellbound by the action on stage that they hardly moved — not even a cough!
I can confidently report that the latter is true. This year is the Arden’s 15th anniversary season. It is also the fifth year the company has performed professional children’s theater. Since 1998, more than 80,000 people have experienced an Arden Family Theatre production.
In the delicate category of family theater, Arden has discovered what works. Barbara Field is a University of Pennsylvania graduate who spent eight years as the playwright-in-residence at Minneapolis’ renowned Guthrie Theater, and has done great work on adapting Gertrude Warner’s 1942 children’s classic to the stage. With a few plot details rearranged and characters added, Field’s play is something with which children can easily identify and imagine themselves as part of the action.
In the play, the Aldens — Henry, Jessie, Violet and Benny — are siblings touched by tragedy when their parents die in a drowning accident. Their biggest fear is being split up in different foster homes, so they make their escape to set up a home in a deserted railroad car.
They have a wealthy grandfather, but don’t go to him for help because they are afraid of him. Later, with the help of a kind country doctor, they discover their grandpop is a loving person and they fall in love with him as soon as they meet him.
The youngsters’ situation brings on many adventures that tap into the childhood fantasy of living in a world without adults. Henry is a 16-year-old boy who takes care of the children; Jessie, 14, puts food on the table; Violet, 12, loves to sleep; and Benny, 9, has an imagination for building things.
The playwright commented that "running away and learning how to cope with the world was a fantasy I certainly had as a kid. I think we all do."
The action of the play takes place during the Great Depression. Many folks lost their jobs. Families left home and traveled by train to start a new life in a different state. Many kids had to help out their families by getting menial jobs.
People stood in long lines for bread and soup, and families set up camps where they slept in small shacks or boxes. These camps were known as "Hoovervilles," named after President Hoover. Families depended on one another and used teamwork to survive.
Field uses this Depression era to reinforce her message of survival, children working together and family values. The message is clear and the drama onstage is enthralling to both children and adults.
Sara Doherty as Violet, Maggie Lakis as Jessie, and Matt Mezzacappa as Benny do wonderful work, as does Matt Pfeiffer, who is exceptional as the oldest boy, Henry. Sally Mercer, playing multiple roles, had a serious case of laryngitis, which cut an otherwise good performance in half.
Tom Teti also plays multiple roles, doing a fine job with each character, but a few more performers would help to flesh out the play a little better. Lewis Folden’s economical set design is little more than scaffolding platforms, save for the boxcar that arrives in the second act.
The show is well-directed by Whit Maclaughlin, who makes good use of Bill Dooley’s talents as a singer and musician extraordinaire — playing several instruments as he strolls through the action, adding a musical flavor to the unfolding scenes.
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The Boxcar Children
Arden Theatre
40 N. Second St.
Through Sunday
Tickets: $12-$32
215-922-1122
