Play Review

‘Big River’ Flows

By: Eliot John Hagen (May 5, 2005)

The Deaf West Theater Production Company is responsible for the newest (and most innovative) interpretation of Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.  With both spoken performances and sign performances, this particular production is open to two very different audiences.  English teacher Ms. Bridget Dean-Pratt and American Sign Language teacher  Ms. Kristin daCosta helped organize a grant for the Pre-IB 10^th Grade English and American Sign Language classes to attend this production.

I have seen many great plays and movies, and, as a result, “Big River” failed to astound me.  That’s not to say that it wasn’t good; it should appeal to most.  The best thing about the play was the set; gigantic pages out of Twain’s novel that open up like doors; thus creating the illusion of words coming to life.

The acting was alright (though I’ve never considered Twain to be performable; he’s better on pages) and the singing coincided with its performance partner.  It takes some time to get used to the fact that some characters speak and others don’t; but you stop noticing it after a while.

As opposed to having some characters speak and other characters mime (while another speaks for them), I believe it would have been better if none of the characters had spoken and the entire play would have been narrated by Twain; it would have made it seem more like the book.

“Big River” will be playing until June 4^th at Ford’s Theatre.  Tickets are $30, so go if you want to; the fact that you can sit underneath the booth where the 16^th President of the United States was shot is cool enough.

Tell us what you think.  E-mail lassogmhs@hotmail.com