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Regional Reviews: Phoenix Super Cowgirl and Mighty Miracle
Also see Gil's reviews of Patti LuPone in Far Away Places and Dames at Sea
Cory's father is out of work and has also lost his home, so they've been living in his truck. When a faraway job opportunity comes up, the decision is made to have Cory live with her estranged grandmother Autumn. We quickly learn that Autumn, who is African-American, didn't approve of her daughter marrying Cory's father, who is Latino, preferring she marry a fellow African American, and that Autumn is struggling financially herself. With a group of vicious and wild dogs roaming the foreclosed homes in the neighborhood and Cory and her grandmother finding it difficult to live together, it seems that a friendly stray dog might be the "miracle" these two strong female characters need to fend off the wild dogs and help them realize how lucky they are to have each other. The fact that Gonzalez sets his play against the current issue of financial troubles and foreclosed homes that many families have either experienced or are well aware of, along with the changing make-up of the modern family, grounds the somewhat familiar story of a young girl who doesn't agree with her grandmother in a familiar current predicament. It is a simple modern touch that heightens the reality of the story while also adding an outside element of suspense as to what will happen to Grandma Autumn's home. The 50-minute show is heartwarming but not preachy with well-crafted characters and situations. The cast includes Osiris Cuen and Chanel Bragg who both provide rich portrayals of Cory and Grandma Autumn respectively. Cuen easily gets across the stubborn nature of this young girl but doesn't resort to using "baby talk" or changing her voice drastically to present the sense and appearance of a six-year-old girl. Instead, she shows us the various sides to this youngster through both the exuberance that Cory has in pretending to be the super hero "Super Cowgirl" and the fun she has in playing with the stray dog she befriends, along with the restlessness she feels in situations she doesn't prefer, like when Grandma Autumn takes her to church. Cuen also has great facial expressions that she uses for comic effect, like when Cory prefers to call chicken soup, which she doesn't like, "chicken poop" instead. Bragg easily portrays the stern grandma who has a long list of rules and thinks she knows what is best, but also confides that she has come to hate her life. The seriousness that Bragg brings to the part is nicely countered with how she also shows us the sweet side of Grandma Autumn with the way she looks out for Cory and in the connection she ultimately has with the stray dog. Carlos A. Lara is having a blast as Mighty Miracle, the stray dog; with just a few barks, whimpers and growls, and constant jumping and running around the stage, he has no problem in bringing this funny, sweet and caring dog to life and showing us his mischievous ways. Dwayne Hartford directs his cast with a soft touch, letting them portray the characters naturally without force and without overplaying the emotions. I especially liked the effectiveness of having the two conversations that Autumn and Cory have with Cory's dad delivered as layered conversations with the ladies speaking in turns. It adds a nice counterpoint and rhythmic feel. Hartford also nicely stages the action to use the various moving set pieces. This show already toured throughout the state at various schools, so the use of just a few set elements is understandable, but the way Hartford uses a constant sense of movement to give it a positive vibe makes the set seem much larger and grander than it actually is. Scenic designer Douglas Clarke has crafted two large set pieces that are colorful and extremely effective. The piece that is used for the exterior and interior of Grandma Autumn's house somewhat resembles a storybook in the way it magically opens up to reveal the inside of her house. A large set piece for the back includes a colorfully vibrant mural-covered brick wall of the houses on Autumn's street peppered with "For Sale" and "Foreclosure" signs. With just a few small pieces of moveable fencing and a bench that is used for multiple settings, including Cory's bed and a bus seat, shows that just a few simple set pieces can be used to portray various locations. Kish Finnegan's costumes include a lovely mismatched outfit for Cory, which you can easily imagine someone with her wild personality would wear, that includes a cowboy hat and cowboy boots. Miracle is brought to life with the simple combination of a heavy brown winter coat, a fur-lined hat with ear flaps to represent dog ears, and a long, bushy tale that moves wildly as if it has a mind of its own. Joey Trahan's sound design includes some impressive sound effects; I especially liked the ones used during Cory and Autumn's bus ride, and a jazzy musical underscore that is used for the many quick set changes. Super Cowgirl and Mighty Miracle's tale of a grandmother and granddaughter who don't agree might be a familiar story, but it is one that touches upon many emotions and situations. With the added urgency of a pending possible foreclosure and the use of a multi-cultural family, it also is a story for modern times. The Childsplay production has three talented actors, effective direction and simple yet effective creative elements. Targeted for kids aged five at up, children of all ages as well as adults will find this story, and this production, to be both realistic and touching and a way to not only talk about what it is that makes a family but also how little "miracles" can help us get through our lives. Super Cowgirl and Mighty Miracle at Childsplay runs through March 30, 2014, at the Tempe Center for the Arts, 700 W. Rio Salado Parkway in Tempe, with performances on Saturdays at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. and Sundays at 1 p.m. Tickets start at $12 and are on sale at www.childsplayaz.org or at the Tempe Center for the Arts Box Office (480) 350-2822 (ext. 0) The show will also continue touring at schools throughout the state into May. Director: Dwayne Hartford
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