Playwright: Patrizia Acerra and Dawn Arnold after Jeff Brumbeau and Gail de Marcken's books. At: Premiere Theatre & Performance, Moving Dock Theatre Co. and Clock Productions at Athenaeum Theatre, 2936 N. Southport. Phone: 773-902-1500; $5-$15. Runs through: Dec. 16
Like it or not, the holiday season is already upon us. The Rockettes of the Radio City Christmas Spectacular are invading Rosemont this month, while the old standbys like A Christmas Carol and The Nutcracker are being aimed into position.
Not into all that forced holiday cheer? Perhaps you should take young family members to The Quiltmaker's Gift. This world premiere, based upon children's books by Jeff Brumbeau and Gail de Marcken, has a great holiday-timed message told in an inclusive way.
The plot is simple—so simple that you wonder why it took three theater companies ( Premiere Theatre & Performance, Moving Dock Theatre Co. and Clock Productions ) to collaborate together.
The Quiltmaker's Gift tells the tale of a greedy King ( David D. Pittman ) who demands presents from his subjects twice a year, hoping that that one special gift will make him happy. When the King hears of the fabulous quilts made by a reclusive mystical Quiltmaker ( Cindy Henkin ) atop a mountain, he won't stop until he gets one.
But the Quiltmaker doesn't cooperate. She only makes quilts for the homeless and destitute. She agrees to make a quilt for the king, but only if he gives away all his worldly possessions.
It's not hard to guess how everything turns out, but that journey is plenty of fun and has a refreshing simplicity. One notable feature is the inclusion of American sign-language interpreter Shannon Moutinho in the talented ensemble, who simultaneously translates and takes part in the action.
I hope word gets out to the hearing-impaired community because this shadow interpreter is a lot more involved that the translators who typically get lumped to the side. Even if Moutinho doesn't always translate everything, the playful and funny ensemble switching roles as townspeople, soldiers or birds always get across what's going on.
With her curly white wig and no-nonsense demeanor, Henkin makes a fine quiltmaker, though she could show a touch more emotion during the flashbacks. Directors and book adapters Patrizia Lombardi Acerra and Dawn Arnold may err on the overly artsy side when the ensemble forms locales like caves and mountains, but they show a creativity that engages and invites different ways of seeing.
The production is handsomely framed by oversize quilt panels of set designer David Denman and skillfully scored with sound effects by sound designer Stave Ptacek and classical and film-score-sounding music and composer Ryan Cashman. The costumes by Carol Blanchard ( frequently extracted out of a toy box ) playfully evoke the whimsy needed for a moralistic fairytale.
The Quiltmaker's Gift is the perfect antidote to young relatives with a 'gimmie, gimmie, gimme' mentality. The show is also free of Christmas iconography, so its non-denominational message about the importance of giving is accessible to everyone.