Steppingstone Theatre's production of "The Stinky Cheese Man," based on the book by Jon Scieszka and directed by Matthew Vaky, is an eclectic and entertaining romp through fairy tales that is not the least bit stinky. A kid-friendly mixture of staging styles, with a colorful and joyous aesthetic, filled the airy space and brought forth a unique production. With a particularly clever use of puppetry staging, use of senses, and storytelling through dance, music and acting, the production presented pertinent youth issues and messages that artistic director, Richard Hitchler remarks, "we do not shy away from." The touchstones of parental and peer rejection, social acceptance, and community building ran throughout "The Stinky Cheese Man." It is the story of a boy made from stinky Wisconsin cheese who is an outcast.
With cameos from the "Frog Prince" (Ameris Martin) and his clan, "Cinderella" (Becky Mathison), "Little Red Hen" (Annacita Gomez), "Jack" (Alexander Krohnfeldt) from the beanstalk, "Foxy Loxy" (Chase Adelsman), and "Stepmother" (Jennifer Waweru), the audience is led through a humorous and intriguing experience toward building community. The audience views the ridicule of the "Stinky Cheese Man" (D. Ayden McCloskey), and a plight provided by "Cinderella" to rescue him from social scorn and drowning. The staging teaches players and audience alike to not only resuscitate community, but to "color outside the lines," as Hitchler remarks. "The Stinky Cheese Man" is an innovative production with opportunity to create and transform youth's own stories.
"The Stinky Cheese Man" is in its third run since 1999, and continues to exude fine form. It is recommended for all ages. Steppingstone Theatre presents an array of plays, including the upcoming season highlight of "Four Little Girls: Birmingham 1963," "a must-see." "The Stinky Cheese Man" runs through August 1st, 2010 at Steppingstone Theatre (www.steppingstonetheatre.org) in St. Paul, MN.
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