Robin Hood: Prince of… Monsters!

Written by Daniel John Kelley

Directed by Dara Malina

The Brooklyn Lyceum

227 4th Avenue, Brooklyn

718-857-4816

 

Review Tanisia Morris

 

Arrow Minded: The cast of Robin Hood: Prince of... Monsters!

 

Lincoln green clothes, “Merry Men,” and bows and arrows can only mean one thing: Robin Hood. Written by Daniel John Kelley, Robin Hood: Prince of… Monsters! is the second program in Mainspring Collective’s Monster Literature — a children’s theater series that will continue in monthly episodes — which follows 12-year-old Benjy Bleeglehorn (Jenna Weinberg) and her sidekick, Bravo Kirkwood (Aaron Matteson), as they try to save the world’s most revered works of literature from the evil Zorlan Morlan, Lord of Tears (Owen Scott).

 

As in Monster Literature’s first production, Twas the Night Before…Monsters!, Robin Hood’s storyline is simple, as are its messages of kindness, forgiveness and courage. Zorlan Morlan puts a spell on Robin Hood (Mike Green), and suddenly, the once gutsy English hero is transformed into a coward who fears everything from the trees around him to the ground he walks on. It’s up to Benjy and Bravo to help him rediscover what it means to be a hero.

 

The folks at Mainspring Collective have clearly sought to improve the Monsterseries, with this installment more mindful of its young audience. As in English folklore, Robin Hood is dubbed a hero in this production, but, appropriately, no mention is made of his well-known kleptomaniacal tendency to steal from the rich and give to the poor. (It might be challenging to explain to five- and seven-year-olds why Robin Hood is considered a hero when he steals, an activity parents no doubt teach their kids is wrong.) Unlike in the first production, Robin Hood seeks the help of its young audience members, who are asked to shout “Oh, No!” whenever they hear the words “Archery Contest” during the play. All of the characters, from Robin Hood to Zorlan Morlan and Benjy, have enough charisma to sustain the audience’s attention. Maya Baldwin, who plays Zorlan Morlan’s Monster Messenger, elicits the most giggles with her gruff voice, depleted bugle horn, and awkward toddle. There are a few choreographed performances with jingles, but the songs need catchier hooks and simpler lyrics to be memorable in the minds of the show's young audience.

 

The scenic (Theresa Rivera), lighting (Dave Monroy) and sound design (Nick Moore), much like the production as a whole, are basic yet imaginative. As in Twas the Night Before, Julia Mancini’s costumes are effortlessly inspired, cleverly making use of household items, paper and plastic, and Robin Hood looks semi-sophisticated in Lincoln green attire. With these touches, Mainspring Collective clearly understands the idea that less is more — a concept many children’s productions have yet to master.

 

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