Review: South Coast Repertory Presents THE OLD MAN AND THE OLD MOON

Returning for its annual summer "Outside SCR" Series at the historic Mission San Juan Capistrano's outdoor theater space, OC's Tony Award-winning regional theater South Coast Repertory is once again (and, reportedly, for the final time) staging a site-embracing play al fresco that is filled with vivid characters and live music performed under the stars by a talented ensemble.

THE OLD MAN AND THE OLD MOON—created and first staged by PigPen Theatre Co. back in 2012 and now locally directed here in the OC by SCR's own Associate Artistic Director Kim Martin-Cotten—is a remarkably creative piece of site-enhanced live theater that combines elements of folk rock music, inventive props, colorful costumes, some puppetry, histrionic characters, and wildly imaginative storytelling to craft a unique and engaging experience. Performances of the kid-friendly fantasy continue at the Mission through August 11, 2024.

Beginning with a near-sunset pre-show set of folksy tunes performed by its very musical seven-member cast strolling the main grounds of the Mission, the offbeat show soon takes off and eventually justifies its entertaining machinations throughout its 100-minute intermission-less run time.

Right from the start, the musical play over-amplifies its squashbuckling-adjacent quirkiness with unwavering tenacity as it aims to tell an embellished (though, at times, hard-to-follow) tall tale that overstuffs a seemingly simple-enough central plot with lots of second-hand storytelling mixed generously with its zany shenanigans and a clever, found-objects ingenuity.

The resulting theatrical presentation is genuinely enjoyable and delightful enough, but—just like the cast of singer-actor-musicians on stage—us audience members really, really have to work hard to get there.

Circling themes of duty, love, and adventure (and one's necessity to balance all three in order to be happy and content), the play is regaled to us by the production's superb assembled troupe of musician-slash-actors who feel like a folksy, hippie improv group doing a pop-up outdoor show, interchangeably donning multiple characters and/or multiple musical instruments throughout the evening in a sort of "old timey" children's story hour vibe that requires quick, instant costume changes, make-shift props that repurpose tools and objects as real-world and fantasy items, and a few regionally-ambiguous accents to embody different characters.

The story's main focus is the adventure quest embarked on by the play's title character, simply referred to as the "Old Man" played winningly by Tommy Beck sporting street busker clothes. Strangely, the play chooses not to "age" Beck visually with Ye Olde Clothing or wrinkly make-up, which, I admit, is a bit confusing at first. But once audiences surrender to the play's multiple presentational choices—which requires us to exercise our imaginations much more than what we are probably used to—everything does fall into quirky place.

We soon learn that the Old Man has one very important specific job: to continually replenish the moon with "liquid light" each night because that darn thing keeps perpetually leaking (this irreparable  "leak" is, apparently, the reason why we down here on Earth keep seeing the moon in various "phases" of fullness or near-emptiness).

Forever tethered to this luminous duty, the Old Man, for decades has inadvertently not noticed that his long-time wife, the Old Woman (also youthful in the visage of Jess Andrews) has gotten restless with their simple life and has longed to explore the wider world beyond their home. But, of course, out of a sense of duty, the Old Man cannot fathom ever abandoning his assigned task, realizing its, well, global importance.

So when his wife abruptly leaves their home without even saying goodbye—enchanted by a repeated melody stuck in her head that she hums but cannot recall the source of—the Old Man sets off on a wild journey to find her, which, of course, has him leaving his all-important job behind.

This somewhat "forced" adventure quest takes the Old Man away from familiar surroundings for the first time, traveling across vast oceans and seas, a few sketchy locales, and through various fantastical situations that range from exciting and fun to downright dangerous and frightening. Along the way, he meets a plethora of very interesting, often outlandish characters that include an eccentric crew of a sailing ship that agrees to transport him to his desired destination—that is, after he accidentally stumbles onto a fortuitous alias that they wholehearted welcome into their chosen family.

As the Old Man's quest continues—encountering obstacles and challenges in his path that tests his resolve—the journey itself can be viewed as a metaphor for self-discovery and the reconciliation of duty with passion.

The cast is just absolutely exceptional. They include the very funny Armando Gutierrez who plays the Captain/Perry/Others, the hulking but adorkable Alex Lyndon who plays Mabelu/Others (and a very memorable pooch), frequent narrator Matt MacNelly as kilt-wearing Matheson/Others, Ana Marcu as agreeable shipmate Llewellyn/Others, and the hilarious Joe Ngo as expressive galley cook Cookie/Others (who I instantly remembered from SCR's less comedic but oh-so-incredible production of Cambodian Rock Band).

These vibrant supporting characters add extra texture to the story, each bringing their own personality quirks and contributing to the hovering "magical realism" exuded by the play. Overall, the play's characters—though archetypal and reminiscent of similar genres' ilk—are imbued with depth and relatability, even with mostly laughable, exaggerated mannerisms and affected accents. Beck's portrait of the Old Man's transformation from a dutiful, somewhat complacent figure to a man driven by love and curiosity is especially compelling, keeping us invested in his journey—even if parts of the larger story can sometimes be confusing. And though less developed, the Old Man's runaway bride (played by Andrews, who plays Callahan/Others during the rest of the play) serves as a story-launching catalyst for his fun adventure and eventual personal growth.

This exciting expedition to the wild unknown to find his wife juxtaposed with his abandoned responsibility of filling the moon with light serves as a not-so-subtle metaphor for striking a balance between personal desires and obligations. Using a non-linear, multi-layered,  storytelling structure, the play expressively incorporates myths, legends, and exaggerated tall tales to create a timeless, almost fable-like quality.

While this structure certainly allows the audience to engage deeply with the story and its underlying motifs and messages, it is also the play's oh-so challenging offering to its audience.

The play's expansive world-building and seemingly endless cavalcade of quirky characters and uproarious story tangents require audiences to concentrate really, really intently to follow all the outrageousness and expanded exposition, as it continuously breaks theatrical conventions and expectations left and right. But, at least for me personally, the reward for such intentional concentration is ultimately a satisfying one, as this hard-working, supremely talented troupe of seven weave an adventure quest that feels dense, wholly familiar, yet surprisingly original at the same time.

Though not particularly branded as musical theater, music does play a crucial role in THE OLD MAN AND THE OLD MOON, not merely as background but as an active storytelling device. The folk-inspired score and songbook by PigPen Theatre Co. is both emotive and narrative-driven, enhancing the emotional paths of its characters and helps convey the story's progression. Songs are interwoven seamlessly with the dialogue, providing a rhythmic and lyrical quality that enriches the audience's immersion in this unique fantasy world.

Much of this original music is gorgeous and wonderfully performed by all seven members of the cast, each of whom are talented in both voice and in their multiple turns at different instruments that range from drums and guitars to even the fiddle or a percussive surface (cast members MacNelly and Gutierrez serve as the play's co-musical directors).

All cast members are uniformly likable and their over-the-top acting continuously reminds us of the show's imbedded silliness and its performance-art quality. Even better: these over-emoted, over-the-top performances keep things light and airy even as the story takes sudden dark, foreboding turns.

Visuals are kept minimal, but the noticeably inventive props and dazzling scenic design by Efren Delgadillo Jr. and Stephanie Bernardini—combined with Lonnie Rafael Alcaraz's stunning backdrop lighting—reiterate the play's fantasy leanings quite well.

Overall, THE OLD MAN AND THE OLD MOON is a wonderful after-dark outdoor theater venture, filled with endearing performances tinged with an escapist vibe. And though the pacing of the play is generally well-executed—with a notable balance of slow, contemplative moments and lively, "action"-packed scenes—there are points throughout the play, however, where the narrative could benefit from some tighter editing to maintain a forward momentum, particularly during the often long-winded, second-hand storytelling segments that many characters often break into for later payoffs.

PigPen Theatre Co.'s storytelling infrastructure demonstrates a keen understanding of crowd-engaging theatrical dynamics, and this outdoor production effectively utilizes the space to enhance that while also entertaining viewers through direct address and interactive elements to keep things uniquely fun and a little off-center.

In the end, THE OLD MAN AND THE OLD MOON's universal themes of love, loss, and the quest for meaning amidst a need for a stable home life resonated deeply with me, making the play both touching and thought-provoking while also eliciting a few chuckles. Its blend of humor and poignancy certainly ensures that the emotional impact to audiences is varied and profound.

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Photos by Robert Huskey, courtesy of South Coast Repertory.

Performances of South Coast Repertory's Outside SCR presentation of PigPen Theatre Co.'s  THE OLD MAN AND THE OLD MOON continue at Mission San Juan Capistrano through August 11, 2024. Tickets can be purchased online at www.scr.org, by phone at (714) 708-5555 or by visiting the box office at 655 Town Center Drive in Costa Mesa.

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