The Flea Brings a Kids Festival to Its Stage

 by Kelly Monaghan

The Flea Theater, long a hotbed of experimental theater, is turning its attention to future generations of avant gardistes. This month, using the tag line “Give Us Your Children,” the Flea inaugurates its first ever “Family Festival of Theater, Music and Dance, Stories and Clowns.”

Scene from “The Orchid Show,” a “mock opera” at the Flea.

The keystone to the festival is the world premiere of “The Parrot,” a mini-musical created and performed by the venerable experimental troupe The Talking Band. The book, lyrics and direction are by Paul Zimet, with music by Ellen Maddow. Zimet and Maddow, alumni of Joseph Chaiken’s seminal Open Theater, were co-founders of The Talking Band in 1974 and have been frequent collaborators ever since.

Other Talking Band veterans involved include Karinne Keithley (choreographer), Nic Ularu (sets), Lenore Doxsey (lights), Kiki Smith (costumes) and “Blue” Gene Tyranny (keyboards).

“The Parrot” bears many of the hallmarks of a Talking Band production. Based on an Italian folk tale, it makes

imaginative use of costume, movement, gesture, puppets and masks (whimsically designed by Ralph Lee), and language to tell the story of Bela, a self-assured New York teen who is visited by a talking parrot. As the parrot spins his tale, Bela becomes Bellafiore (Beautiful Flower), a girl who gets the chance to marry not one but two princes who are smitten by her beauty. She turns both of them down flat.

Escaping from these fairy tale lands, Bela finds herself back in the real world, pursued not just by a dumb but lovesick rich kid but by the parrot itself, now transformed into a handsome youth from a poor and exotic land. But neither can sway Bela. She remains herself, bemused by her love-sick suitors who, in the words of poet Pablo Neruda, are “like bees, drunk with honey, that buzz round a flower.”

“The Parrot” will appeal to what marketers like to call “tweens,” kids too old for babyish things but not yet cursed with adolescence. It should also appeal to parents who’d like to introduce their kids to theater that will encourage thought and discussion, not merely pass time.

The clowns of the festival have come and gone, alas, but a revival of “The Orchid Show” will run through much of this month.

“The Orchid Show” is a creation of Israeli choreographer Neta Pulvermacher, in collaboration with the British rock band XTC. Described as a “mock opera” set in a “whimsical, psychedelic and mirthful swamp,” the piece explores the wondrous and wacky world of orchid fanciers. It is suitable for children, ages six and up.

Kids are always willing to sit still for a good story and the festival obliges with “Tales Along the Silk Road,” performed by storyteller Pennylyn White. Drawing on the travels of Marco Polo, White transports her audience to a world so ancient as to seem magical. This, too, is recommended for children ages six and up.

“The Parrot” has matinees through Feb. 22. $15 through Feb. 8; then $20. “The Orchid Show” through Feb. 22: Fri., 9pm; Sat., 1 and 5pm; Sun., 3 pm. $15. “Tales Along The Silk Road” runs weekends, Feb. 14–22, Sat., 11am and Sun., 7 pm. $10. The Flea Theater is at 41 White St. Call 212-352-3101.