Review: Tuck Everlasting

Mark Frattaroli’s stage adaptation of Natalie Babbitt’s book Tuck Everlasting is playing at the Des Moines Playhouse now through November 25th. The Kate Goldman Children’s Theatre at the Playhouse is an intimate space. The stage is small but all four corners of the room serve as points where the actors can enter and exit.

Kevin Shelby’s scene design offers different levels of platforms upon which the actors move. The backdrop was painted in half circles of blue, representing the sky but also a pool of water after it has been disturbed. It is a good use of scenery as foreshadowing.

The story is set primarily in the 1880’s, approximately 80 years after the Tuck family found a forest spring. Eventually they discovered that the water from that spring gave them everlasting life. They kept the secret of the spring for decades, until 11-year-old Winnie Foster caught a Tuck quenching his thirst.

The play has several elements to which younger children can relate. Winnie is an only child, which causes her parents and grandmother to be overly protective of her. In turn, that makes Winnie yearn for freedom from the constant scrutiny. The story reveals that freedom has many interpretations. Unfortunately, the story also repeatedly stresses the natural cycle of life and what living forever can mean. No doubt there is some intention to help children cope with a loss, but it comes across as excessive repetition. Another distraction was the use of descriptive interludes in which multiple actors give descriptions of the weather and the land. The information was conveyed more effectively in dialogue. Moreover, not only were most of the vocal resonances weak, the words themselves did not echo through the imaginary landscape to create a strong sensory image.

Two young actresses, both in middle school, portray Winnie Foster. Ruthie Dearth was playing the role when I saw the matinee on Saturday, November 10th. The other actress is Halen Becker. All the actors were at their best as the play reached its climax and the action sped up.

Joe Smith as the stranger in the yellow suit, the villain, gave the best performance. The gleam in Smith’s eye suggested he enjoyed playing the role.

Preshia Paulding offered a strong presence as Mae Tuck, the mother of the everlasting clan. Given the size of the theatre, her performance would have been better had it not been so intense.

The first and biggest audience reaction came when a comment was made about the dust in theTuck’s home. Mae apologized for not cleaning better and said, “I just never find the time.” It was meant to be a joke about Mae having everlasting time, but the mothers in the audience laughed at it out of shared understanding.

The best line of the play came at the end, but I cannot say what it is without giving away a key moment in the story. All I can say is that the line is about a toad.

M.R. Field is editor of Leading Voices: Iowa.