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Theater and Arts
‘Fable Factory’ spins classic Aesop yarns
Slow and steady wins the race. Prepare
today for the wants of tomorrow.
Honesty is the best policy. Don’t bite the
hand that feeds you. These are familiar
phrases and sound pieces of advice ingrained in
our culture and our everyday lives. We use them
to teach our children, in a charming and often
humorous way, how to approach problems and
how to build character.
They come from animal stories that were
popularized centuries ago by a fellow named
Aesop, and they are the basis for The Fabulous
Fable Factory, a charming, energetic and funny
play to be presented by the Riverside Community
Players for one weekend only, October 3-5.
Some highlights from the show include the
stories of the slow tortoise and the speedy hare
who race through the countryside (and the audience),
the diligent ant and the procrastinating
grasshopper who approach the world differently,
the ferocious lion and the tiny mouse who find
themselves in an unlikely friendship, the country
mouse and city mouse who discover the pros and
cons of their living conditions, and a couple of
stubborn donkeys who need to learn the value of
compromise--and soon!
The production is directed by Jennifer Young
Lawson, one of Riverside Community Players’
resident directors for the Family Series, who previously
helmed award-winning RCP productions
of Oz, Schoolhouse Rock, Stone Soup and
Schoolhouse Rock, Too. “This script brings many
familiar fables to life in such a creative and
engaging way that the play will delight adults
and children alike. It's a fun workout for the
actors, too, who have the opportunity to play
many different characters. These performers all
have great imaginations which is important since
they portray everything from mice to lions to
donkeys to water to trees. They approach every
story with such joy and energy that you can't
help but have fun watching them,” said Lawson.
The versatile ensemble cast includes seasoned
veterans of the theatre as well as great new talents.
Dennis Bryan, a busy vocalist and pianist
from Lakewood, California, who performs all
over Southern California, makes his RCP debut
as Mr. Aesop himself. Joining him in the making
of fables is Joanne Lapointe of Moreno
Valley, who performs frequently with the San
Diego Opera and at the Lawrence Welk Dinner
Theatre in Escondido, Luis Rodriguez of Chino,
who recently turned in a stellar performance as
Soda Pop in The Outsiders, Caitlin Arend of
Riverside, who previously was featured in RCP
productions of The Just So Stories and A
Christmas Carol, and Katrina Gomez of Chino in
her RCP debut.
For ticket reservations and season ticket information,
call the Riverside Community Players’
box office at (951) 686-4030. The box office
also will be open for walk-up business starting on
September 29, and will be open Monday-
Saturday 5pm-7pm and Saturday and Sunday
12pm-2pm the week of the show. Tickets are $8.
There will be no late seating, and no children
under 5 years of age will be admitted. A group
rate for parties of 25 or more is available.
Weekday performances for school groups are also
available. For more information on school group
performances, call (951) 369-1200.
The Riverside Community Playhouse is at
4026 14th Street in Riverside, between Magnolia
and Brockton. Visit the RCP website at
www.riversidecommunityplayers.com. IER
September, 2008 INLAND ENTERTAINMENT REVIEW 21