I have trouble following complicated plots. I find that it’s especially difficult with narratives about wars, imaginary lands, and wars in imaginary lands. For a little while I can keep track of the various battalions of characters and their movements, but then they start to intermingle and I forget who’s allied with whom, where they’ve stashed the sacred whatsit, and why so much depends on one brave orphan. And if there’s a twist of any kind, forget about it.
It starts out as a relatively straightforward quest narrative. Our guileless hero, Casper Kent (Kevin Stangler), is sought out by a wizard cum storyteller named Hap the Golden (an enthusiastic William Dick, costumed to look like Dr. John). Hap reveals that Casper is not the simple farmer’s son he believes himself to be, but the long-lost heir to the land’s now-dead queen. Casper’s mission is to find and lift his mother’s magic hammer, which will make him king and unite the warring folk of the realm under a benevolent monarchy.
Through 5/3: Sat-Sun 2 PM Chopin Theatre 1543 W. Division 773-769-3832thehousetheatre.com $65
