Gil Varod

Oedipus for Kids Gil Varod

2m 1f / Musical Comedy / Unit set Unfolding in real-time, Oedipus for Kids! turns the audience into attendees of the latest performance of the Fuzzy Duck Theatre Company, a three-person troupe dedicated to performing the classics for children. Having had success with previous offerings such as Uncle Tommy's Cabin, company founder Alistair has decided that the next logical step is tackling Sophocles' Oedipus Rex with songs such as "What's It Like When Ya Get The Plague?" and "A Little Complex." But all is not as pleasant as it seems with the Fuzzy Ducks: Alistair is in the middle of a bitter divorce with troupe member Catalina, who suspects something is up when she learns that tonight's audience includes the executives from sponsor Beanz! Coffee for Kids. Evan, the third troupe member, is a newly-trained recent hire with questionable acting methods. He uses these to play Oeddy, "a little boy a lot like you," who runs away from home when he finds out that he is destined to do something terrible to his Mommy and Daddy. On his journey, he meets a shady Baklava dealer named King Laius, a magical mythological coffee-drinking puppet named Sphinxy, and the Theban Queen, Jocasta, who wants to marry him regardless of their disproportionate age difference. While King Oedipus tries to solve the exciting mystery of who murdered the former king, the off-stage disagreements between the cast members spill onstage. The three insult each other, inflict flesh wounds, and fornicate during intermission. When Catalina learns that her ex-husband has bought her share in the Fuzzy Ducks only to sell it to Beanz! Coffee for ten times net value, Catalina decides to sabotage the production. What was once a misguided--albeit--educational theatrical experience swiftly spirals into a Charybdis-like whirlpool of suck, and Catalina's revenge leads to a darkly comic denouement. Please note: this play is not for young audiences. "A spoof of children's theater, with some truly funny songs and endearingly loopy performances from a cast of just three." - Charles Isherwood, The New York Times "This twisted treat lives up to its outrageous title admirably. Patterson and Varod's book captures a Christopher Durang-like sensibility that is infectiously entertaining. Varod and Saferstein's score is a total treat, too (which I've been humming more than a few times). Yes, you can do Oedipus for Kids! And it can be just as horrifyingly fun as it sounds." - Joe Tropia, Broadway.com