Santa is missing.
So, too, is everything from the Nativity.
You’ll find no candy canes, no sugar plums, no chestnuts nor snowmen nor ugly sweaters hereabouts, either.
In fact, there’s nothing very Christmasy about the Christmas show being staged by Bainbridge Island’s own Lesser Known Players.
And that’s kind of the point.
The island-based performance group last rocked Rolling Bay Hall in August with a four-day, two-show science-themed festival. Last year, they celebrated the holiday season by hosting an immersive, avant-garde take on a freshly translated Russian version of the classic children’s tale “The Snow Queen,” performed by the Seattle theater company Dacha.
This year’s fare comes likewise from far afield and is similarly, well, lesser-known.
“I’m especially excited about this show, because bringing this particular work to the stage has been a bit of a passion project for me personally,” said director Jennifer Hodges of this year’s selection: “Forest Song,” on stage at Rolling Bay Hall (10598 NE Valley Road) at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 14, Friday, Dec. 15 and Saturday, Dec. 16; also 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 17.
“It was originally written in 1911 by female Ukrainian playwright Lesya Ukrainka,” Hodges said. “It’s one of the most beloved works of Ukrainian literature, but it’s virtually unknown in the West, in part because of the challenge of translating the original Ukrainian verse to English.”
“Forest Song” is about a wood nymph, Mavka, who falls in love with a human boy, and about the clash of spirit and human worlds that ensues.
“[It’s] is not a Christmas play,” Hodges said. “Instead, it invokes the spirit of the season without including Santa Claus. As with all LKP productions, it’s something different, with an emphasis on strong female characters, an outreach to the local music scene — with original score by Jon Brenner — and a cast of local actors who are either lesser-known or who have talents that haven’t been showcased in more mainstream shows.”
Unlike most LKP productions, however, this one is suitable for children of all ages.
Tickets, $25 each, $20 for seniors and students, $15 for veterans, are available at www.forestsong.brownpapertickets.com. Visit www.facebook.com/lesserknownplay ers to learn more.
It’s a unique work unfamiliar to most audiences, Hodges said, and a story ripe for discovery right now.
“I’m especially excited to be staging a translation of the original work now [because] a video game and animated film are in development for release within the next year or so,” Hodges said. “So, I see this as a unique opportunity to introduce our audiences to the original work and characters before they’re ‘Disney-fied’ and watered down for mass-market Western consumption.”
“Forest Song” is one of the most beloved works of Ukrainian literature. A prior translation effort in 1950 by Percival Cundy tried to retain the rhyme and rhythm of the original, but the resulting work was never produced.
“I began seriously searching for a translation about two years ago, when we founded The Lesser-Known Players, because it seemed the perfect play for us; a great story, a female playwright, lots of great roles for women, a strong female romantic lead role that rivals Juliet in its challenge and complexity, and a lesser-known play and playwright by any measure,” Hodges said. “I think the closest Western comparison might be ‘Midsummer Night’s Dream’ meets ‘Romeo and Juliet’ with a surprisingly contemporary environmental message thrown in.
“It’s absolutely delightful, and I’m thrilled to be introducing our local audience to its lyrical language and charming cast of characters.”
Like most prospective attendees, cast member Derek Villanueva had never heard of “Forest Song.” He was, however, instantly interested.
“I trust Jen with anything she picks,” Villanueva said. “Seeing the excitement that comes from Jen for this play, you learn a lot.”
Hodges has long history with the fables and stories behind the play — and a family connection to boot.
Good thing, too, because finding a suitable translation for this notoriously tricky text was … tricky.
“My grandmother was born in 1905 not far from where Lesya Ukrainka grew up and where ‘Forest Song’ takes place,” Hodges said. “Much of ‘Forest Song’ involves Ukrainian folklore and music from this particular region, and I grew up hearing these stories and songs from my grandmother.
“The Ukrainian culture is very rich in its folk song tradition, superstition, and symbolism, much of which dates back to Pagan times and springs from the consciousness of a culture that is very close to nature and the seasons,” she added. “The dearth of choices led me to contemplate a new translation — so I reached out to friends and relatives in Ukraine, one of whom connected me with Victor Morozov, who translated the Harry Potter books into Ukrainian. [He] was very excited to hear such a thing was in the works, but felt he wasn’t up to the task as his strength is English-to-Ukrainian and not the other way around. It was he who connected me, finally, to Virlana Tkacz of Yara Arts Group in New York City. Yara’s translation, developed under a grant from the National Theatre Translation Fund in the early ‘90s, is what we’re using.”
In gathering the rest of the cast, much as it did for Villanueva, the director’s excitement made all the difference.
“In every case I’ve found the perfect local actor to inhabit each character and it’s been just a tremendous pleasure to see them fall as deeply in love with the play and characters as I have,” Hodges said.
“I’m especially excited about George Shannon playing the story-telling uncle; Lucien Caro having the opportunity to play a different kind of romantic lead, one for which I think he’s uniquely suited; Amanda Rae Pease playing the sexy, scheming mermaid I think she was born to play; Citori Leucht playing a different kind of ingénue, one with a depth and range that suit her talent; and Derek Villanueva, who brings Latin-lover heat to the fire spirit Spark.”
