MNfusion: 'Pinocchio' Actress Talks CTC And The Power Of Play
The Children's Theatre Company is beginning its 2016 -2017 season with the classic tale of "Pinocchio."
"Pinocchio" tells the story of a woodworker, Gepetto, who creates a wooden boy to be his son. He names him Pinocchio.
Pinocchio dreams of becoming a real boy, but his mischievous and adventurous nature causes him to incur several scrapes and scuffles along the way.
But aside from simply sharing Pinocchio's adventures along his journey to became real, "Pinocchio" tells a story of the power of believing.
Pinocchio never gives up his belief that he is a real boy or, in the end, that he will find his father again.
His faith is what drives his dream to come true.
Local actress Elise Langer, who plays Pinocchio, talks about the physical challenges playing a boy made out of wood can bring, and how she hopes CTC encourages families to keep make-believing.
---
This is not the first time that you've taken on the role of Pinocchio. Tell me, what excites you most about reprising this role?
Langer: It's always fun to go back to a role you've done before because inevitably at the end of a run you think "I wish I had an extra week to explore this moment," or a line just clicks and finds new life right as we have to say goodbye to the production. Now, I get the opportunity to delve into the role some more and make new discoveries! Pinocchio is a special treat because he is naughty and gets into a lot of trouble.
Sounds like there will be a lot of fun moments to unpack even further! So, on a different note, what challenges does this role provide?
Langer: This production really relies on the audience to embark on a crazy adventure with us. We speak directly to them and expect a response. This is very exciting to me because it's so rewarding to connect with everyone in the room. It's also quite a workout. None of the actors or the musician leave the stage for the entirety of the show!
Wow! That is a lot of time on stage for all of you! In addition to just being present and in character for that long, can you talk to the physicality of the character – how do you change your motions to play a boy attached to strings?
Langer: While Pinocchio is not attached to strings, he is a puppet made of wood. My main focus is to stay as rigid and "wood-like" until Pinocchio becomes (spoiler alert!) a real boy. The show is highly choreographed which doesn't mean dance in this case, but everyone's steps and gestures are calculated and are the same at every performance.
That sounds like a lot of work! So, this story has quite a few large elements, such as the Playland and the whale, how will those large elements be incorporated into the show?
Langer: There are so many great surprises in this show I don't want to give it away! I can tell you that the designers for this production found really great ways to tell major, and minor, elements of the story.
I'm sure audiences are eager to see them! Some of the central themes of the show are about make-believe and growing up. How do you think adults hold onto make-believe as they get older?
Langer: The most fun thing about doing shows at CTC is watching parents go on the make-believe journey with their kids. CTC has this amazing way of making shows fun for the kids and the adults. I hope this playfulness continues on the audiences' ways home and beyond!
That's a wonderful thought! So, aside from just continuing to enjoy make-believe, what message do you want audiences to take away from this production?
Langer: Keep playing.
"Pinocchio" opens July 15 and runs through Aug. 14. Tickets cost $15 to $49. For more information, or to purchase tickets, visit the Children's Theatre Company online.
