My overall impression
Don’t think for a second these are just your average children’s poems. Remember, the show stems from the mind of Abby Schachner, not your average solo performer. While it’s easy to get caught up in rhyme scheme and rhythm, these are cleverly written and skillfully crafted pieces with so much love and soul put into them. Some of my favorites are “Malcolm the Forgotten,” “Draggin’ Dragons” and “T-shirt Princess.” This show’s about imagination, childhood’s in particular, that as adults we tend to shut off (many of us unknowingly, a few of us unwillingly). Not Abby. With just a piece of fabric, Abby transforms herself into a rebellious princess at odds with her controlling Queen mother. A stoop in her posture and she’s suddenly an old hag. Lumbering on stage she’s now Dan, a dragon slayer, who has a thing for Diane who works at the diner. This show isn’t only for kids. It’s a show for anyone who imagined being a princess, who wanted to right all the wrongs in the world by taking on dragons, who dreamed of “happily after,” who wished one day not only to love but to be loved. Abby dares to be vulnerable, perhaps the most vulnerable I’ve seen her. What courage that must take.
