By Chuck Graham, TucsonStage.com
photo by Tim Fuller
The whole gang gathers around and on top of Pooh (Tyler Gastelum) to celebrate their happiness together, and sometimes to help Pooh get more honey.
Now's the time to treat your family with tickets to the Scoundrel & Scamp's endearing stage adaptation of A. A. Milne's classic “Winnie-the-Pooh.”
Yes, the lovable bear filled with profound innocence is back in the Hundred Acre Wood with many of his friends, always alert to any chance for mooching more honey. Or – as Pooh spells it – “hunny.”
Ever philosophical, Pooh observes that “If bears were bees, they'd build their nests at the root of trees.”
This after trying an attack by hot air balloon, Pooh-style, as he figures the balloon will lift him high up where the the bees are – hoping the bees will think he is a harmless cloud and not a clever bear in search of more honey.
“Pooh” is the latest Scoundrel & Scamp Theatre production for “Scamps,” otherwise known as children's theater suggested for young ones age five and older.
The play runs a kid-friendly 70 minutes without intermission and kept the audience at the performance I attended entertained without depending on any silly clown-type humor.
This production is the world premiere of the adaptation prepared by company members Betsy Labiner and Raulie Martinez. For this occasion an exceptional stage set design of the totally fanciful Wood, complete with tree house, has been created by Lorie Heald.
Dawn McMillan is the director. There is singing, too. The music director is Kevin Hamilton.
Pooh himself is fully human-sized Tyler Gastelum, devoting himself to portraying an ever-animated and optimistic bear who is always mindful of his manners, but sometimes just can't resist the amber-hued appeal of more honey.
“Pooh” has taken the liberty of dividing the boy Christopher Robin into two early elementary school brothers, Chris (Lance Guzman) and Robin (Wesley Geary), who is feeling fearful about going into first grade.
As a child, I remember loving Eeyore, the sad donkey. And in this cast my favorite is Eeyore played with wondrous empathy by Samantha Severson.
Bringing their own personalities to Pooh's other friends are Rabbit (Carlisle Ellis), Kanga (Tanisha Ray), Owl (Abigail Dunscomb) and Piglet (Robbie Voigt).
There is no Christmas element in the stories told here but there is a heartwarming spirit of childhood adventure and, somehow, of togetherness among these denizens of the Hundred Acre Wood, each helping the others meet the mysteries of life.
“Pooh” performances at the Historic Y, 738 N. Fifth Ave., are 7 p.m. Thursday-Friday (Dec. 8-9); Saturday, (Dec. 10), at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.; Sunday, (Dec. 11), at 2 p.m.
There is also a Spring run scheduled for May 12-21 with the same cast at the Historic Y.
For details, tickets online and the theater's full COVID protocol visit scoundrelandscamp.org, or phone 520-448-3300. Tickets are $30 general admission, $28 seniors, $15 teacher and student, free for members of the Scoundrel Society.
