CHICAGO l Based on Lois Ehlert’s best-selling children’s books, The Mole Hill Stories follows an energetic group of forest friends as they learn to appreciate the profound beauty of the natural world that surrounds them.
The DePaul Theatre School took on The Mole Hill Stories as one of their Autumn Quarter 2023-2024 productions, and, per usual, they did not disappoint. I had the pleasure of seeing The Mole Hill Stories on October 28 at the Merle Reskin Theatre. With a transformative and colorful set, fantastical costumes, and a talented cast of DePaul Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) students, The Mole Hill Stories warms the hearts of audience members spanning all ages.
Before the show even started, I was completely captivated by the set. The collage-style scenic design pays a delightful homage to the illustrations in Ehlert’s stories; embracing different textures consisting of massive vibrant flowers bordering the stage, a stained glass mosaic sun and peacefully draped fabric clouds all combining to create the perfect home for the bonhomous crew of animals. The lighting and projections used throughout the show are paired beautifully with the set, as changing colors in the flowers and sky showcase the passage of time and the transition from each season.
The costume design was incredibly thoughtful, adding a lively range of colors and intentional movement that helped bring the woodland creatures to life. Each character’s costume dually adds aesthetic beauty and organic motion that creates a very storybook feeling without compromising authentic animalistic mobility. Many sequins and sparkles on the costumes interacted gorgeously with the light, creating a magical feeling for the audience. For example, when the sequins on a bird’s costume hit the stage floor, they produced a sound that mimicked the flapping of a bird’s wings perfectly; further entrancing the audience into the world of Mole Hill.
Matching the energy brought by the vivid set and costumes, the cast themselves excited and inspired the audience from start to finish. Although the show is technically geared toward children, the masterful comedic timing of the cast is sure to make adults laugh just as loud as younger audience members. The actors were tasked with integrating both Spanish and English dialogue into the show, and they did so seamlessly, making the story comprehensible for every audience member no matter their spoken language. Personally, even though I retained very little from my last Spanish class taken in middle school, I laughed the most at the role of Skunk/Zorillo, who didn’t utter a word in English.
With a touching story, compelling performances and enchanting visuals, The Mole Hill Stories is an absolute delight. You don’t want to miss it!
You can catch the final performance of The Mole Hill Stories at DePaul’s Merle Reskin Theatre on November 4th at 2:00 PM.
The cast features Nathan Bradley (Snake / Lake / Dove / Grass / Hill / Rooster / Rope), EG
Canzano (Raccoon / Dove / Dog / Rope), Maxine Coltin (Moon / Grass / Hill / Dove), Ollin
Barraza Fernandez (Fox / Parrot / Dog), Pedro Arturo Jimenez (Cucú / Grass / Hill), Alex Perez (Zorillo / Parrot / Rooster / Rope), Robbyn T. Simone (Topo), Erik Ventura (Owl / Maple / Grass / Hill / Rope).
The creative team includes lighting design by Zach Fonder, scene design by Devin Meseke,
sound design by Vija Lapp, projection design by Andres Fiz, costume design by Anna Finerty, production stage management by Joshua Clewis, stage management by Bruno Díaz Miranda and technical direction by Grace Adams.
Header image courtesy of Michael Brosilow