Courtesy of Magic Smoking Monkey Theatre
Suki Peters was, first of all, a fan of the Magic Smoking Monkey Theatre, before becoming a performer with the troupe through a memorable casting as Legolas the Elf in MSMT’s classic The One-Hour Lord of the Rings. Eventually, she took on roles as artistic director as well as director of individual shows, which will be her responsibility with this weekend’s debut of The Holiday Stop-Motion Extravaganza Parody. The troupe, originally an offshoot of St. Louis Shakespeare, tackles epics, TV shows, animations, and, in this case, two quirky 1970s Rankin/Bass stop-motion shorts that remain staples of December’s cable television lineup: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and The Year Without Santa Claus. Performances begin November 30, and will have a dozen-member cast and crew numbering roughly the same.
As with previous productions, this one’s an original to the MSMT, with core writers bringing a skeletal version of the storyline to the cast, who put on the finishing touches throughout a fun but intense several-week run-up of rehearsals. With this show having a mix of new and recurring cast members, things basically went to plan.
“I would say that our Monkey alums, when they come back, enjoy having a go at the script,” Peters says. “They’re the go-to guides for the younger Monkeys; they’re the Monkey mentors. It’s a different kind of art, a very specific kind of comedy. And this time, we have a really good blend. Some new Monkeys, some who have done one or two shows, some Monkeys who’ve come out of retirement, and some that’ve been in it the whole time. It’s fun to see the new Monkeys ‘get it.’ It’s a really wonderful experience to see. I think, usually, the Monkey alums are the key to the creative team, in writing the bits. They’ve got the experience and have really got some glorious ones for this show.”
Typically, MSMT shows run just over an hour or so, no matter the subject, be it Star Trek, Star Wars, Speed Racer, or an especially-frenetic supercut of the American Film Institute’s 100 Greatest American Movies. Peters guesses that this round may see a youthful audience, as “it depends on the subject material. This one should skew a little younger, as it’s family-friendly.”
As with all of the MSMT shows that have taken place at the black box theater of the Regional Arts Commission, fans can expect to sit close to the action; the front row’s practically onstage. The nearer you are, the more-brilliant the props and sets can seem; oftentimes, it’s the cast’s clever use of basic-yet-repurposed household items, office supplies, and even kitchen utensils that draw some of the biggest laughs, though it’s always the core story that ultimately delivers the humor.
In this case, Peters suggests that there may be some deeper emotions tugged than usual.
“I think this one has so much heart to it,” she says. “The message of Rudolph and Hermey is that being different is OK. Everyone has their own special place in the world. It’s a strangely heartwarming story. It still has all the comedy and the weird, but it’s also very heartwarming, and that comes across in the performances and our love of the core material.”
The Holiday Stop-Motion Extravaganza Parody by Magic Smoking Monkey Theatre
Where: The Regional Arts Commission (6128 Delmar)
When: Fri–Sat, 8 p.m.; Sun, 2 p.m.; Wed (December 5)–Thu (December 6), 8 p.m.; Fri (December 7)–Sat (December 8), 8 p.m. and 10:30 p.m.
For tickets, see the website here.
