Review: Tales From Mount Olympus | Theatre Three - Dallas

Dallas — Some of you out there (and you know who you are) fall into a state of glassy-eyed ennui upon hearing the words "puppet show."  I know how you feel; I used to be one of you.

If I had not previously and gloriously been converted by Hip Pocket Theatre in Fort Worth, my moment of truth in puppetry would be Tales From Mount Olympus. This captivating production uses life-size figures in the Japanese bunraku style and Hungarian black light effects to depict various characters from Greek mythology.

Bruce R.Coleman, who adapted these stories from D'Aulaires' Book of Greek Myths, also designed the puppets and directed the production, which is perfect for Theatre Three's intimate basement space.

Many of the Olympians are familiar: Boss god Zeus and wife Hera are in need of marriage counseling. Cassiopeia is vain and arrogant. Her daughter, Andromeda, is brave and beautiful. And do you dislike cold weather? Blame Persephone.

Mount Olympus is a visual banquet, thanks in no small part to lighting designer David Gibson and puppet construction artist Kali Rose. (Sudden Thought: The mortal characters resemble E.T.)

The figures are manipulated by an octette of nimble, black-clad actors: Blake Blair, Katharine Gentsch, Adrian Godinez, Ryan Martin, Christopher Thomas Reynolds, Max Swarner, Lee Jamison Wadley and Clayton Younkin. The voice of  Jac Alder, T3's executive producer/director, bookends the show with intro and epilogue. Playwright Coleman also is heard, as are Kevin Moore and the above-mentioned Swarner and Wadley.

This clearly is an all-ages show. But it is by no means unsophisticated. It even has some scary moments, as when Perseus confronts snakey-haired Medusa and when hellish, three-headed guard dog Cerberus makes his entrance.

This production, though, is nothing to bark at.