When she joins Joe Wex (Pelican Man) in a playful flirtation, both he and Nikki Sell (Fat-Black-Knit-Sweater-Lady) are given a chance to let the good-naturedness of their characters shine.
It takes some time for Cardboard Woman and Cardboard Man (played by Master Bow Sim Mark and Michael J. Nuell, respectively) to become more interesting than their two-dimensional names would suggest. However, in their reconciliation scene, the two burst out of their flatness.
Suddenly, the two have a tangible relationship, and Cardboard Man becomes endearing as he sings to his wife and wins her back. Mark succeeds in conveying her own emotions without dialogue: her movements are as expressive as they are fluid.
The cast of characters has only one weakness: Master of Ceremonies Zachary Karabell. He never lets the audience forget he is performing. His storytelling seems forced and he is acts the showman too self-consciously. Every movement is exaggerated, every line given too much weight. Only in the end, when he mouths the story with the characters who now remember who they are, does he cease to be ingratiating.
Despite the generally talented and energetic cast, none of the characters manage to be interesting for the entire production. The last scene works only because it brings back all the characters who have been likeable at some point during the play.
The choreography of the production is solid and utilizes the imaginative sets and costumes well. The monkey chorus pulls off enough gymnastic stunts to win well-deserved applause from the audience.
The movements of the rest of the characters are appropriate as well. The Pelican Man is necessarily gawky, Thimblerigger is quick and agressive and Fat-Black-Knit-Sweater-Women's roundness is in her motions as well as her hula hoop and padded costume.
The text and the movements are synchronized so beautifully that the pairing never feels forced. Instead, it becomes a natural part of the onstage world.
The team of musicians adds of the magic" certain words are followed by the striking of a triangle, and instruments including drums and recorders set the mood. The lighting also works with the demands of an unusual set.
Mum and Shah could be worth seeing for its originality alone. It's not often a world-renown Tai Ch'i master (Mark) joins a gymnastic/hip-hop performance team in a play directed by someone trained as a mime.
But Mum and Shah is really worth seeing because it manages to create a kind of dreamworld and make it survive. Devitt says "magic is a way of seeing and a way of living in a world of diverse people and cultures."
InMum and Shah, she has created her own kind of magic.
Mum and Shah will play at the Lyric Stage this Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 8 p.m. Tickets are $15.