Green Bay Press-Gazette (WI)
November 28, 2005
Warren Gerds
3½ (out of four stars)
DE PERE — Venture Theatre takes a legend that’s obscure in America and runs with it in fun and funky ways in “Black Peter.”
Going in, the audience has little clue where this theatrical piece will go. Coming out, it’s had a bizarre journey through dark comedy.
Drawn from European lore, the play with music traces the misadventures of Black Peter through 5½ centuries. He goes from harlequin to romance to war’s hell to becoming keeper of Santa Claus’ list of naughty girls and boys.
Little is cute. This is not something to take the kids to. For adventurous adults, it’s fresh and fascinating.
Here’s a sample of the tone of humor: Black Peter has swept a naughty child off to Spain and has a big kettle of water heating up with the child in it. “Mister, I promise I’ll be good,” the child says as Black Peter tosses vegetables and spices into the kettle. “Not without the proper seasoning,” Black Peter says.
Playwright and lyricist Pat Quigley dishes out tons of drollery, with Kevin MacLeod’s music being perfectly off-center. The production gets big help from jaunty direction by Laura Riddle of the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay theater faculty.
Mike Eserkaln is riveting as Black Peter.
Things that normally are ridiculous seem normal as Eserkaln portrays his kaleidoscopic character.
At times, Black Peter speaks with his alter ego, Pedro, a puppet-in-a-box operated by Black Peter/Eserkaln. Pedro cajoles, threatens and intrudes.
Other puppets are children who are woven into the time-hopping tale that at times finds Black Peter somewhat heroically trying to fight commercialism at Christmas. (There’s much more to this story; it’s not just that.)
Jason Zirbel injects the appropriate chill in singing off-center songs of the season. Tony Mayer is a strong foil as Santa Claus/Kris Kringle.
Black Peter also meets love along the way, in sweet, bittersweet and melancholy/comic ways through Margarita Cervantes, played with spice by Barb Robertson.
Adding energy are Laurie Bruinooge as Mrs. Kringle and Peter Blavat as a helper, Rudy.
The theater is small (60 seats), the production is small, and the show is in search of a strong ending, but the play is a jolt of refreshing cleverness helped by Eserkaln’s comedic expertise.
