Children’s theatre in New York City seems to vacillate between being an embarrassment of riches and being a quagmire of treacle. Rock n’ Roll Mother Goose!, a high-energy one-woman performance created and performed by Judi Lewis Ockler, is one of the riches. It premiered at the Midtown International Theater Festival this past week and will be presented later at different venues around the New York City area. Keep an eye out for it, it is quite special.
The show depicts a rather unusual visit with the venerable storyteller. When she first appears Mother Goose is the ancient dowager with reading glasses, green cloak and the giant book we have all known since early childhood. But with a lick of the electric guitar she becomes a rock star with punk hair, a poodle skirt, roller sneakers and orange flames licking up the side of her cape. She is youthful and high-octane, and she interacts with the children who are in the audience.
Rock n’ Roll Mother Goose! demands participation from her audience, the kind of thing kids adore. After plenty of air guitar solos and exuberant dancing this Mother Goose gleefully begins the story she is there to tell which, the afternoon I saw it with my six-year-old, was The Ballad of the Pirate Queens by Jane Yolen. Mother Goose begins by opening the gargantuan book and then, with the help of several of the children around her, enacts the tale with singing, props (a miniature cannon that is actually fired, among other things) and costumes. Ultimately, the pirate queens, played by two young audience members, are tied up and put on trial. Oh, and the ship Vanity is haunted by dancing skeletons.
The show is extremely well crafted, with a great deal of attention given to keeping children entertained and involved. This characterization of Mother Goose, with her glittery hair, striped stockings and ever-wheeling sneakers, is a riot. Some elements of the Yolen story got lost a bit (I was a bit confused as to what was happening once or twice). But the children in the audience were attentive and involved, and the adults (myself included) laughed along with them.
The show, while high-energy and entertaining, is not an exhaustive parade of mindless stimulation. Rather, Rock n’ Roll Mother Goose! makes a point of emphasizing how important storytelling is for all of us, and encourages children to seek their own favorites by visiting the library. It’s a fun show for all, but especially for kids. Will it bring more kids to reading? Time will tell. If nothing else it will introduce many children to live theatre as well as the specific tales that this Mother Goose elects to present, and that is to be treasured.
