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LEHIGH VALLEY WEATHER

Theater Review: ‘Little Red’ and company cavort at Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival

“Little Red” is “Into The Woods” sans Sondheim.

Even so, the children’s play scores in its Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival (PSF) debut, through Aug. 6, Schubert Theatre, Labuda Center for the Performing Arts, DeSales University, Center Valley.

Playwright Andrew Kane does a mash-up of the Brothers Grimm fairy tale characters, sending them into and through and around the woods. They cavort, encounter each other, have a merry chase and dispense a moral to the story that should delight pre-teens and please parents and guardians.

The Narrator (Iyanu Joshuasville) intones, with a wink, wink, nudge, nudge, “The journey begins ... “ Joshuasville is outstanding in the role as he effectively links the characters and their quests in direct-address to the audience.

In the midst of the woods is Little Red (Gabrielle Moseley), as in Little Red Riding Hood, who, as the well-worn trail goes, just wants to get to Granny’s house and deliver her basket of, in this case, bread. Moseley is charming and engaging in the role.

The path is a crowded thoroughfare. Along the way, there are many familiar characters.

Among them are: Gretel (an amusing Sydney Abbott) and Hansel (a hilarious Kayman Brown); the Wolf (Johnny Drumgoole, playing the bad guy all for fun), the Fox (Katie McGlone, a great sidekick); the bickering Wilhelmina (Josie LaTorres) and Georgina (Nicole Lawrie), who are eccentrically humorous; Rapunzel (Alaina Hurley, who is over-the-top intense); Pig 1 (Courtney Bulger), Pig 2 (Christian Tuffy) and Pig 3 (Hurley), who are all together silly, and Jacob (Patrick Byrnes, who is honestly earnest).

Costume Designer Oona Natesan has created wonderful attire with just the right touches to designate the characters, who look as though they stepped out of a TikTok video.

Scenic Designer Paige Hathaway has designed an enchanting setting that is multi-functional.

Lighting Designer Steve TenEyck brings the sensibility of a pop-up storybook to life.

Sound Designer Harper Justus adds to the atmosphere.

“Little Red” director Matt Pfeiffer brings his imaginative touch to the proceedings, which move briskly along the path in the approximate 55-minute show (with no intermission).

The moral of this review: “Little Red” is a show that is lots of fun.

Tickets: Box Office, Labuda Center for the Performing Arts, DeSales University, 2755 Station Avenue, Center Valley. https://www.pashakespeare.org/ 610-282-WILL (9455)

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO “Little Red,” Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival, DeSales University.