The Sunday School Moppets, in their first foray into theater, put on a brave attempt toward puppetry in their staging of "The Rainbow Fish," based on Marcus Pfister's acclaimed book of the same name. The show recounts the tale of a rainbow fish who learned to share his scales with others for happiness. (Though the show glossed over an opportunity to push deeper and examine the cost of selling out one's self, the physical and metaphorical stripping away of one's body for the happiness of self and others, of finding validation through others, and instead chose to focus on the benefits of sharing.)
Despite the best efforts of veteran Sunday School teacher and stage director Inge, "The Rainbow Fish" was a largely unprofessional, though noble, premiere for the Sunday School Moppets. Many of the actors were simply uninspired and appeared only to be mouthing lines at the prompting of parents offstage. Girl #3, starring as Fish #3, seemed bored and was unable to connect with the audience, frowning and sucking on her thumb for the majority of the show, often failing to let her Fish "swim." Girl #1, as Fish #1, who appeared inexperienced and frightened by the audience, largely stood immobile. The props, too, with poorly colored fish and tangled streamers, appear juvenile, as if slapped together by kindergarteners.
To the actor's credit, the show was not without its external disturbances, as one audience member and younger brother of the actors repeated climbed onto the stage in attempt to take the actors' attentions away from their roles. And despite the lack of spirit in the overall show and poor acting all around, the puppet show did have its highlights. The boys in the back, in their roles as Blue Fish and Octopus all put on solid performances as well as the charismatic Girl #2 (of Sunday School singing fame), whose fish always swam on cue.
Just like The Rainbow Fish, the Sunday School Moppets will have much to learn and much to mature before they can find happiness in the theater world.
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