Rediscover your inner child at 'The Lorax'

Remember when you were little and you used to play pretend? For many of us, those days are only a shadow of a memory, having been gradually erased by years and years of tedious schoolwork and aspirations of seriousness and maturity. Luckily, there are still a few of us at Yale who value silliness above all else, and they can be seen in the Yale Children's Theater's current production of The Lorax. Dr. Seuss's classic introduced several generations of kids to the concepts of environmentalism and conservation while never losing its Seussian sense of goofy fun. Fortunately, the Children's Theater production manages to keep both the message and the entertainment--its intensely enthusiastic cast and witty script would manage to entertain even the dourest Grinch.

The Lorax starts in an imaginary world full of colorful, nonsensical creatures and Truffula Trees, where everything and everyone is happy. The Once-ler (Jay Hallen, SM '01) presides over this little utopia, all the while dancing with trees and singing the praises of his green pet cat and miffmoffermoof suit. One day, the Once-ler stumbles upon the realization that the Truffula Trees sprinkled throughout the countryside can be used to create a wonderfully versatile product known simply as Thneed. The Once-ler induces a Thneed fad--similar to the polyester craze of the '70s--in which he encourages everyone to run out and get some of his fabulous new product. As demand increases and the Once-ler becomes greedier, more and more Truffula Trees are chopped down to aid his quest to "bigger" his business. The countryside becomes dead and polluted, and--here comes the moral of the story--harmony is lost. The Lorax, played ably (and appropriately) by Marie Dalby, DC '01, comes along, lays a big Greenpeacey guilt trip on the Once-ler, and helps to restore happiness and ecological sanity to the world.

Staged in the shabby first-floor room of the Children's Theater office, the cast is quickly able to overcome its dull surroundings with energy and enthusiasm. The fact that the charmingly low-budget sets and thrift-shop costumes look as if they're about to fall apart at any minute transfers onto the cast's performances in the form of a fever-pitched, almost maniacal energy.

With a big cheesy grin spread across his face and eyebrows so highly arched they look like they're about to jump off of his head, Hallen stands out with his portrayal of the greedy Once-ler. His remarkably pliable, green-painted face creates a sympathetic villain, teaching the audience that the concepts of absolute good and absolute evil are often far too simple for the complexities of the real world. The cast as a whole is solid. All the performers clearly enjoy themselves throughout the performance, and there is hardly a single instance where the actors' energy level drops down even close to normal.

The song-and-dance numbers, while full of energy, tend to look a little bit disorganized. As the entire cast gathers for a musical number celebrating the amazing versatility of the Thneed, it becomes apparent that the choreography and execution of a can-can line is just little bit beyond the cast's level of motor coordination. Still, such endearing little flaws only serve to advance the production's goofy, makeshift feel.

The Children's Theater's presentation of The Lorax is an absolutely adorable, heart-felt production. Few plays at Yale are staged with this much goodwill and enthusiasm. The script is inspired and entertaining, thanks to the silly jokes and audience participation sprinkled throughout. Well directed by Paul Koch, DC '00, the production draws in and practically forces the spectator to enjoy him or herself. When this play was reviewed (in the form of a dress rehersal), the audience consisted of a mere two people; one cannot even begin to imagine how much fun the production will be once the room is filled with rowdy, hyperactive children.

In short, the play is great. Every aspect of the prodution is enjoyable in some way or another, and the moral of Dr. Seuss's classic children's story is relevent to everyone, young and old. The play is accessible (it's the least one would hope from a children's play, after all), energetic and, above all, entertaining. Before the semester really gets underway and the workload forces you to act like an adult again, embrace your wild side and remember what it was like to play make-believe.

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