Writer J Michael Feldman and a zany cast of Groundling, puppeteering professionals address the sensitive, subtler issues of civility with brash humor, witty asides, and bloody scatological droppings in a menagerie of anthropomorphic characters you won’t find at the San Diego Zoo. Social situations that leave us mere mortals scratching our heads are tackled head-on and summarized with a surprising twist by Feldman’s Cosby-esque sweater-wearing, fussy Narrator.

Have you ever wondered if you should tell your best pal that their spouse is obviously gay? Ever questioned whether you have true friends or just a bunch of superficial relationships. Does kinky sex give you the willies? What’s so smart about a Smartphone and what happens to someone when they can’t put it down? Have you ever tried to carry more than you can handle? What do you do when your friends turn into ‘dog’ people or worse yet, ‘baby’ fanatics? All of these common quagmires yet unspoken rules of conduct, manners and awkward situations are hilariously imagined with impertinent cheekiness that is as infectious as it is glib and relatable.

Against a simple, childlike backdrop of a storybook by Stephanie Kerley Schwartz and Percy Rutherford’s throne, Annie McVey’s direction steers just this side of shtick while Feldman attempts to illicit candor from his audience before segueing into each act. The transitions are not altogether seamless but Feldman avoids hamming it up by not overstaying his welcome. He ably changes costume while remaining in his slightly contemptuous role, preening and issuing droll observational punchlines that keeps the momentum and the laughs going throughout.

Not all the morals carry the same weight, making the acts occasionally uneven and disjointed. There are those as in the case of the ‘The Princess and the Smartphone’ that could do with less and those like the ‘The Bee Who Didn’t Want to Hurt Anybody’ that have the potential for more. Nevertheless, the majority of the scenes fall into that sweet spot between being milked and underdeveloped, allowing for a nice, easy groove to flourish. There’s a sense that something more can be done with this type of show in the right venue and format. It’s certainly a launch pad for J Michael Feldman and puppeteers Jess McKay, Matt Cook and Tina Huang. Featured performers include Courtney Pauroso as the charmingly sexy cloud, Eileen Mullane as a crazed monkey, Corey Poedell as a sassy squirrel and Kimrie Lewis-Davis as a princess we all come to hate—emoticon notwithstanding. )-:

It’s risky (risqué) business to pull off vignettes like ‘The Cloud That Was into Some Really Weird Shit,’ ‘The Monkeys and Their Pet,’ ‘Kurt the Spider’ and the ‘Centipede Who Had to Make it There in One Day’ without the skits becoming too clownish and immature. This is for adults after all but it’s not amateur hour either. Feldman and the cast keep the performances fresh by replacing a couple of scenes every night. The show your friends raved about may be slightly different from the one you see. A great idea to keep audiences coming back for more and with sold out runs it seems to have paid off. But an extension doesn’t sound likely which is a major bummer as this is probably their last weekend.

Need more advice: Get thee reservations to Fairy Tale Theatre 18 and Over before the storybook is closed on this for good. Doubtful you’ll walk out of the show a better person for going…but at the very least, you’ll leave with a smile plastered on your face. Now that’s my kind of happily ever after.

“Fairy Tale Theatre 18+”
Produced by the Inkwell Theater
Thurs, Fri & Sat at 8pm
The Matrix Theatre
7657 Melrose Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90046-7488
Tickets: $25
PH: 323-852-1445
www.inkwelltheater.com

--M.R. Hunter (eyespylareviews[at]gmail.com)

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