If You Give A Pig A Pancake (Hilarity Ensues, and Also Disaster)

Once again, I took the girls to Adventure Theatre, along with a five-year old friend of DestructoGirl. To those not familiar with the books* here's the plot synopsis: A child gives a pig a pancake, and nothing good, but lots of fun, happens. Except for it's everything good. DG was in full open throated guffaw mode, and almost eleven-year old TigerGrrl was delighted. Two boys, age thirteen and twelve, rejected the delights offered by Adventure Theatre, and instead opted for exploring Glen Echo Park for the hour that I had the girls at the play. So all and all, it was a success for all concerned.

Holly Twyford, as Felicia the pig, was a delight. She had this great snort when she laughed or was surprised (actually, an oink of sorts) that my girls are still imitating, three days later. They'll chortle, then remember, and add a snort. As an adult, I felt mildly sorry for Brenda Locke, playing the imposed upon child, but she had her own great moments, especially when reading aloud a note from her mother, advising her to take off her helmet before eating her breakfast and then proceeding to stage an imaginary spacecraft atmosphere re-entry and landing.

Both actresses played off each other nicely and have given my daughters epic excuses for why my living room is a disaster area: "Well, I gave a pig a pancake, then she needed some syrup, then she got sticky, then she needed a bath, then she needed some bubble bath . . ." This is not helped by the fact that my daughters are now the proud owners of two guinea pigs, one quite pig like, and the other a shy retiring type. And no, they aren't fed pancakes or given bubble baths. So clearly, all the responsibility for the mess that is my house rests on the shoulders of Mss. Twyford and Locke, who really should volunteer to help clean up, both here and at the stage.

The whole production is a blast, but the best part for the little ones is the epic mess (or, as TG said: "Housekeeping fail, Mama. They must be related to you.") left behind when the show ends. I actually worried what would happen when the little girl's mother got home (or her not-quite-all-there father descended to actually check out what his daughter was up to). All three girls were laughing and chortling and trying to decide what would happen next after Felicia built a tree house and decorated it using Laura's mother's sheets. But clearly, one just had to start imagining: first, they gave a pig a pancake, and then . . . .

I would be remiss if I didn't mention the delightful set, with a piano and deep-soaking bathtub, both of which appear out of kitchen appliances when needed. Many a time, I've been feeling grungy in the kitchen thinking "Why can't I have a bathtub here?" This problem is solved in this production

*If You Give a Pig a Pancake, If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, If You Give a Cat a Cupcake.