Panto

We got our full year's worth of silliness in just a few hours Saturday night at "A Midsummer Night's Tail," the annual pantomime "in the British tradition" presented by the Kennett Amateur Theatrical Society. This year's play, directed by Chris Ramsey, was a mashup of Shakespeare, "Star Wars," Robin Hood and "The Great Gatsby." As always, there was much audience participation: booing and hissing whenever the villain appeared, singing and clapping to the "Silly Song," and greeting the Dame when she appeared.
The most groan-inducing moment for me (an old English major) came when two characters were discussing a new game involving knocking down small pyramids with Frisbees. Its name? "Pyramids and Frisbees."
At one point Puck declared that she would "girdle the Earth" to find a love potion for the Fairy Queen Titania. One of the fairies wondered whether this would involve a trip to the ends of the world -- even as far as Unionville!
I thought the costumes this year were magnificent. I especially liked the Dame's pinup-boy apron, Puck's leafy tunic, and the evil Van Driver's blindingly pin-striped zoot suit. The kids portraying robins and fairies were utterly adorable. We loved the kid who doffed her robin headdress while taking her bows!
At the door we were greeted by the tuxedo-clad Gary Smith and Steve Warner, two of the founders of the now-13-year-old KATS troupe.
"I can't think of anyplace else I'd rather be on a snowy January night in Kennett Square than in that auditorium," proclaimed my theater companion, who sang, booed and laughed as lustily as anyone in the place.