Acting Up

Cilicia A. Yakhlef

CHRISTMAS PLAYS:
A Child's Christmas in Wales & Vaughn, New Mexico Christmas Eve, 1956

Denver Civic Theater
721 Santa Fe Drive
303-595-3800
F-Su 7:30p Tickets $15-$ 17
Pay what you can night Nov. 11

The richly textured landscape of a child's mind at Christmas is eloquently explored in two diversely parallel pieces of reader's theater now running at the Denver Civic Theater: "A Child's Christmas in Wales," by Dylan Thomas and "Vaughn, New Mexico, Christmas Eve, 1956," by Terry Dodd through December 30.

Reader Michael Jones gives a mesmerizing interpretation of Dylan Thomas, sharing a feast of childhood memories with the audience. Lines like, "The high heaped fires spat, all ready for the chestnuts" and, "We went singing carols one night when there wasn't the shaving of a moon to light the flying streets" infuse the audience with crisply carved imagery laden with glistening morsels of poetics that linger as heavily on the senses as the heady aroma of steaming chocolate wafting from a candlelit window.

Even young children should be entranced by this work. The authentic Welsh accent and evocative mood provided by Michael Jones coupled with the powerful words of the poet, Thomas, is a winning combination for everyone from grade-school to hearing-aid range.

Likewise, Terry Dodd's piece about an early Christmas spent stranded in Vaughn, New Mexico presents a "vast canvas of experiences, a kind of road map ... stretches of roadway ... like arteries to the heart." Dodd's work brings alive the panoramic view of an American family, with artful strokes of color, character and landscape. The dream-like nature of the journey is enhanced by the layers of voices with which the lines are delivered. Terry Dodd had the good fortune of directing both plays in this production. For his own work he chose to stage four actors reading the work in character as Dodd's family. Interpreted much like a poem in four voices, the lines become representative of the family, sometimes speaking over each other, sometimes enfolding each other, sometimes united and undeniable.

Equally undeniable is the craftsmanship of the lines. Dodd says this piece was originally written as a Christmas gift for his family. It was later that the work found the stage. "Vaughn" is a lavishly written story, full of tactile imagery and vivid landscapes, both interior and exterior. Movement in this play is personal and intimate, spanning time, space and psychology and tugging at the vast shared past of the collective unconscious. Undoubtedly, Dodd has both written a great piece of work and staged a unique bit of theater.

Considering the sincere sentiment and meaningful emotions conveyed in this work, I solidly recommend the performance to anyone seeking a respite from the season's punishing pressures.