It is very pleasant to come on in out of the cool, dark Seattle winter evening for this Christmas memory one-act at the Stone Soup Theatre. The audience is greeted with the comforting scent of warm apple cider for sale before the show. The small house provides folding chairs and some overstuffed couches to share with the actors playing the Thomas family as they wander around and through the audience during the course of the production. An in-house snowfall was a treat especially enjoyed by the younger members of the crowd.
Dylan Thomas’ piece has made a unique journey to the stage. The work first appeared as a short story in 1950 in Harpers Bazaar. By 1952, it had gained a reputation as a Christmas favorite and was occasionally read aloud on the radio; once by the author himself. But it wasn’t until 1982 that the Great Lakes Shakespeare Festival in Cleveland, Ohio brought the work to the theater.
The dozen members of the cast present a pleasant version in a quick fifty minutes. While the Welsh accents may come and go and some of the casting seems a bit goofy, (can the boyish actor Josh Lewis really be playing young Dylan’s father!?), Dylan Thomas’ wonderfully poetic language continually stands up to save the day.
Joel Meyers is a joy as the young Dylan Thomas. He has a very strong stage presence and is fun to watch throughout the production whether he is roughhousing with his buddies outside in the village or penned in by his swarm of aunts and uncles at the Christmas dinner table.
This is the eighth season The Stone Soup Theatre has brought out the play for the Christmas season. Judging from the happy faces of the families around me at the show’s conclusion, I see no reason why they should discontinue this tradition next year.
A Child’s Christmas in Wales directed by Leslie Spero; Costumes by Megan Mills; Lighting by Kasey Harrison; Scenic Artist– Brittany Cox, Artistic Director–Maureen Miko. Runs through December 24. Ticket information at 206-388-9212 or on line at stonesouptheatre.com.