The Celebrated Jumping Frog

of Calaveras County

A play by Joseph McDonough based on a story by Mark Twain.

Saturday, March 6, 2010

7:00 PM

 

 Reviewed by B. K. Grant

 

 

The title had me from the get-go. That the tale was spun by Mark Twain heightened the anticipation. The stage was fitted with a black curtain backdrop from which the actors later entered. Center stage was occupied by a black & white filigreed sign, reminiscent of the silent movie era, announcing the coming attraction. The foot-stompin’, banjo-pickin’ background music with an occasional hint of Southern blues nicely set the mood. The cozy theatre was filled almost to capacity; many cameras and cell phones were in hand ready to record for posterity the greatness that followed.

 

The half hour performance was geared to youngsters of elementary school level, and it was pleasing for this reviewer to relax and regress back (way back!) to younger days. The opening narration set the scene -- a quaint one-horse town in Calaveras County. The narrator (Brigid Sawyer), fantastic in full costume and heavy ‘cowpoke’ drawl, intermittently offered significant commentary, weaving the storyline as subsequent scenes unfolded.

Jim Smiley (Warren Mason) as a smilin’ con artist conjured up one money-making plot after another. A smooth talker, he convinced the town folk to get involved in his ‘con-tests’, eventually relieving them of their money. The first scheme Jim proposed involved the fastest horse (Jack Carson) that outran any in the county; the second, the smartest dog (also Jack). The gamblers lose a sizable amount of cash to smilin’ Jim on both ventures, and he ponders another profitable exploit: a frog jumping contest.

He trains the frog (again, Jack), perfecting the jump, plying him with small treats and promises of more tantalizing morsels after the contest. Aided by two dark-clothed stagehands, the frog executes a monumental jump in slow motion to the theme of Chariots of Fire; onlookers are duly impressed. A pair of town folk (Vicki Montagna and William Maldonado) devise a plan and talk Jim into depositing his winnings in the bank of a neighboring town, ‘where it will be safe from thieves’ til after the jump. Jim agrees. The contest begins; each contender jumps near 100 feet. Jim’s famous frog makes his grand entrance, visibly bulging from chin to knee after gorging on the delicacies offered him behind Jim’s back. The expected jump is thwarted and the braggart conman learns a valuable lesson.

 

The talkback after the performance revealed the five member cast, ranging from fifth grade to college level, enjoys touring grammar schools, exposing young minds to the excitement of live theatre. During the presentation of the Celebrated Jumping Frog, youngsters often became wise to Smilin’ Jim and correctly described him as a ‘miser’, ‘corny’ and ‘loud’. The cast delivered their lines credibly; although Jack, while appropriately costumed (the horse, dog and frog) didn’t have any lines save a few snorts, barks and growls, the facial expressions and antics proved to be the highlights of the production. Bravo, troop!