The Woodsman tells the forgotten tale of the infamous “Tin Man” character from the Wizard of Oz. This theater version of the tale premiered at the wonderful 59E59 Theaters. The original story was published in 1918 by author Frank L. Baum. This modern interpretation was created by James Ortiz, and directed by Mr. Ortiz and Claire Karpen. The plot centers around a lonely woodsman who falls deeply in love with the slave of a powerful witch. The loyalty and passion he holds leads him to give up body and soul for love. Besides the initial third person narration there is hardly any dialogue. The cast hums and sings lightly at points with the live musical track performed by violinist, Edward W. Hardy. The performance was mesmerizing between the innovative multi-purpose set equipment and overall fluid choreography. The violin music reminiscent of pre-civil war folk pulls the audience into the scene, eerily notifying the spectators of the danger that lay moments away. The sinister Hippo-gy-raf monster (head of a tiger and body of a bear) and tin woodsman are incredible displays of Bunraku puppetry. Although this is a dark love story there are moments for comedic relief.
The cast for the performance blended beautifully, which resulted in a brilliantly clever elucidation. Cast members included James Ortiz, Eliza Simpson, Devin Dunne Cannon, Will Gallacher, Amanda A. Lederer, Ben Bass, Aaron McDaniel, Meghan St. Thomas and Carol Uraneck. James Ortiz (creator and co-director) has acquired a list of talents throughout his career; holding acting credits for such plays as: The Rocky Horror (Puppet) Show, Miss Lily Gets Boned and On the Head of a Pin. Fellow colleague and co-director Claire Karpen has performed in such theaters as the Public Shakespeare Lab, McCarter Theater and Stamford Center of the Arts; with training from Julliard and Brown University her consummate professionalism seeps through. Overall, the rendition was both creative and exciting. Even if you don’t happen to be a fan of The Wizard of Oz, the show is completely worth your time. The Woodsman performances will carry on til February, 16 and tickets are $18.
Ticket Central: (212) 279-4200 or www.59e59.org
