In a show referred to by many as “Sesame Street for adults,” the Renaissance Theatre’s production of “Avenue Q” is set for opening night on Friday, Feb. 14. Both actors and puppets alike have been hard at work since December rehearsing the coming-of-age parable for a younger adult audience.
“Really it’s a parable of life, and what happens to you when you get out of college and you discover that maybe life struggles are a little bit harder than you thought they might be,” said Michael Thomas, director of the show. “It’s touching on that idea that Sesame Street taught us that we were all special and we were all individuals, and we find when we get into real life it’s a little bit of a rude wake-up call.”
According to Thomas, “Avenue Q” first opened off Broadway around 10 years ago, then quickly moved on Broadway as its popularity grew. It may be most known for beating out beat “Wicked” for Best Musical at the Tony awards.
“It was sort of the little engine that could,” said Thomas. “I think it’s such a unique premise that it kind of took everybody by surprise.”
The show’s most unique premise is certainly the use of puppets, animated by unconcealed actors, alongside human actors. Puppeteer Colton Penwell, who plays two main characters “Nicky” and “Trekkie Monster,” said the puppet manipulation wasn’t too hard to learn.
“YouTube helps; you get tips and tricks online but it’s just getting your hand on the puppets, getting in front of a mirror and just going for it,” said Penwell. “As the actors, we’re on the backburner. Even though you see us we don’t hide behind stuff, we act it all ourselves. It’s really weird, you watch the puppet but you pick up on the emotions of the actors as well. The puppet is an extension of you, so you’re working as just one unit.”
Surprisingly, working alongside the puppets was an easy adjustment for actor Patrick Clinage, who plays Brian, one of the three human characters in the show.
“You have to focus on the puppet itself and I can’t think that there’s this person here,” said Clinage. “But in talking to the puppet, this cast is wonderful, and I’m literally entranced by how it sounds like there is a voice coming out of this puppet. The first day we started this, I literally had a flashback to when I was a kid watching Sesame Street and going oh my gosh, this is awesome.”
Another unique aspect to the show is its “stage-on-stage” seating, something Thomas started when he first came to the Renaissance in 2009.
“The Renaissance is a 1400-seat house, so if you want to have an intimate production it’s almost impossible,” said Thomas. “Avenue Q is a smaller, more intimate show and it’s just better to have a more intimate audience, so we invite the audience up on stage.”
To accommodate the stage-on-stage seating, the set itself has a “thrust” stage, putting the cast members even closer to audience members.
“For normal proscenium theatre you’re open and everyone sees you, but for this you could completely have your back to half of the audience,” said Penwell. “It’s being aware of your surroundings a lot more in this case, that’s the challenging part.”
Stage-on-stage seating also means limited seats available, so the Renaissance has extended showings of “Avenue Q” to a third weekend in order to accommodate for fewer seats per show.
“With a show like this, which is popular with a young adult audience, sometimes people like to come back and see it a second time,” said Thomas.
The show’s target toward a young adult audience intrigued actor Condrea Webber, who plays the human character Gary Coleman in the show.
“I’m with kids all day, so now I get to act more like an adult in a kid setting and saying adult language I don’t usually say,” she said with a laugh. “It was easy to learn the dialogue.”
Webber said her 15-year-old son would be attending the show, as she would rate it around PG-13 for appropriateness.
“Leave the kids at home, don’t be tricked that just because there’s puppets it’s a kid show; it’s far from it,” added Penwell. “The music is fantastic, the cast is great and it’s just absolutely hysterical.”
“Avenue Q” opens Friday, Feb. 14 at 8 p.m., with additional 8 p.m. showings on Feb. 15, 21, 22, 28 and March 1. Tickets can be purchased online at www.mansfieldtickets.com.
