Beyond a curiosity shop in a forest of Christmas trees, the lights of Wildwood have grown dim. The Winter Queen (Diane Berrios) is locked in a cursed sleep, and it’s up to intrepid quest adventurers new to this land (you!), led by intern/faun Juniper (Tiffany Keane Schaefer)—who also tends the apothecary/bar managed by Wilhelm the Wizard (Chris Mantione)—to set her free, else we dwell in darkness through the season’s chill. Before the adventure begins, voyagers swallow a potion (alcoholic and nonalcoholic options available) to fortify them for the riddles and puppets that await them. If that libation should send you on an additional expedition to the lavatory, venture forth according to your instinct—the sanctuary for mermaids/centaurs is bedecked with golden seashells and painted fish, a sandcastle, and a guide to mermaid lore.
Winter in the Wildwood
Through 1/9: Fri 7 and 9 PM, Sat 5, 7, and 9 PM, Sun 5 and 7 PM, Otherworld Theatre, 3914 N. Clark, otherworldtheatre.org, $40 adults, $20 children (includes themed beverage—alcoholic and nonalcoholic—at bar). Recommended for 8+.
As a general rule, Otherworld is ornamented, crammed with baubles and bibelots that must require magical assistance to undust and in the meantime form the main attraction of the place. Within the elaborate labyrinth of objects, the story and acting in Winter in the Wildwood are simple and earnest, with heavy-handed and undeveloped dialogues on love and friendship (Should we love? What are boundaries? Etc.). Characters we meet along the way include a ditzy fairy named Slushie (Laura Scruggs), a grumpy Yeti-Bear (Berrios), the heartless Summer Fairy (Scruggs), and several Muppet-inspired puppets, which are seamlessly integrated into the show (mostly by Mantione). At no point does anything upsetting occur, and the stakes of the program never feel urgent. This show probably requires the attendance of children and/or a hefty dose of potion to fully appreciate.
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