The Indiana Repertory Theatre presents Holes on their main stage now through November 6. This delightfully mysterious children's tale, by Louis Sachar, comes to life through the eyes of a rag-tag gang of six boys sentenced to a horror-filled work camp. Through a series of flashbacks, the fate of one young prisoner becomes clear. An ensemble of eight adult actors don various characters and accents as easily as costumes, working to move the play through centuries of time with enigmatic storytelling. Directed by David Bradley, Holes at the IRT offers a live action glimpse into the whirlwind mind of famed childrens author Louis Sachar.
Based on Sachar's 1998 novel of the same name, Holes has been adapted for the stage and the screen both by Sachar himself. Because of this the script manages to adhere to the essential storytelling elements that make Sachar's work so unique including his ability to make believable far-fetched characters and to prolong suspense even as he jumps from the Old West to the modern day Texas.
The cast is easily divided into two parts, adults and kids, with each team working equally to further the plot in very different ways. While the cast of kids explore the gentle dynamics of teenage relationships among boys, the adults jump from character to character, each more outrageous than the last. The juxtaposition of realistic characterization in teen characters and the caricature like jumps each talented adult makes captures perfectly the way adults can sometimes seem so zany to kids.
An impressive set from Rob Koharchik, complete with about a dozen holes from which endless theatre magic seems to spring, the dry, dusty landscape that sets the modern day scene easily translates to a variety of locations throughout time and around the world. With ample help from Lap Chi Chu's lighting design, the show becomes a veritable flying carpet. Wendy Meaden's costume design also make impressive transformations throughout the show.
While Louis Sachar's novel is most popularly read by school children, the IRT's production of Holes is appropriate for kids of all ages. Enjoy this truly magical theatre production with family and friends, a great opportunity to introduce you kids to live theatre. Catch it through November 6 at the Indiana Repertory Theatre downtown.
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