For something as simple, innocent and beautiful as new-fallen snow, Milwaukee audiences are treated to A Laura Ingalls Wilder Christmas. The play is being produced by Christian-themed Acadia Theater Company in a university auditorium in a northern Milwaukee suburb. Those who are familiar with the book series about Laura’s adventures, as well as the popular TV show starring Melissa Gilbert as the feisty Laura, this play also is based on the same precept: dedication to family and good works. The play concerns two years in Laura’s life that are not captured in any of her books. It involves the family’s difficult move to Burr Oak, Iowa, where the Ingalls family ran a hotel while trying to recover financially from a devastating crop loss. Instead of roaming free on the prairie, Laura’s life (and those of everyone in her family) are now centered on the difficult work of running the hotel. Worse, they live in cramped quarters inside a hotel room. It is noteworthy that Laura Ingalls Wilder spent some of her childhood living in Wisconsin, so this play may draw special interest from local audiences. (For fans, a yearly summer event celebrates the time she spent here.) As if the new living situation wasn’t difficult enough to endure, the family is deeply saddened by the death of an infant son just prior to their departure. In fact, the play opens with the family standing in front of the son’s grave, singing him to eternal rest with an a Capella version of “In the Sweet By and By.” This may indicate why Laura didn’t chronicle this episode in her stories. But, just like the Christmas miracle, the Ingalls struggle until better days loom ahead. Under Glenna Gustin’s direction, the cast of Christmas emphasizes how strong family bonds were imperative for survival in tough times. In an era when things such as cell phones, tablets, and laptops were many decades away, the family clung closely to the only thing they could count on – each other. These vignettes are handled skillfully by the Wilder cast, led by Simon Jon Provan as a wise, sympathetic father who encourages his “half-pint,” as he calls Laura, to follow some common-sense rules while she tries to make sense of her life in Burr Oak. Laura is played by Grace Provan (Jon’s real-life daughter) as a girl who executes her character well, but lacks a more inspiring, magical quality that book readers have come to love.
More of what we’d like to see in Laura is provided by Mary, Laura’s sister (adeptly played by Claire Zempel). She rises to the occasion when her mother, still distraught by her child’s death, seems overwhelmed by her hotel chores. As the mother, Heather Lenox has the unenviable task of going through most of the show with a long face. She is entirely convincing as the thin, careworn woman Ma Ingalls must have been at that time.
Brightening the family immeasurably is Bethany Philomena Provan (another of Jon’s daughters). She’s the spunky, childlike baby sister who charms the audience while the rest of the family deal with difficult issues. Her curly blond hair and effervescent smile are enough to bring a note of cheer to the darkest scene. To further lighten the mood, a young boy (Seth Hoffman) lives in town. He is about Laura’s age and acts the way 10-year-old boys do. Typically, he demonstrates his interest in Laura by teasing her, bragging and producing a much-coveted sled. Laura is alternately drawn to and also repulsed by the boy, and some of the scenes between the two are among the show’s highlights. The play’s simple construction is emphasized in the minimal set. A large wooden table serves variously as a kitchen table, a performing stage, a wagon, and a bed where all three sisters sleep snuggly. A couple of smaller tables are incorporated as well, with a few props to indicate the setting. The costumes look as though they came right out of the TV show, with bonnets, aprons and bloomers for the girls, and a field coat and weathered hat for pa.
The appearance of an older, well-to-do woman in town (Elaine Wyler) is so enchanted by Laura that she threatens to disrupt this family harmony. She wants to adopt Laura and giver her all the finer things in life. The conversation between adults is overheard by Laura. For much of the second act, Laura fears that her parents will consent to the woman’s request. In their conversation, the woman insensitively suggests that “having one less mouth to feed” would benefit the Wilders.
Given the play’s holiday’s theme, we hear the girls rehearse some well-sung Christmas tunes (credit to music director Danette Buikema), as well as a short version of the Christmas story. At one point, a childhood illness threatens to interrupt the performance. Never fear; all is well by show time (as if there was any doubt).
