Exhibitionism

The Sword in the Stone

Running Time: 40 min

Transitions can be difficult. Anyone who’s ever tried to get a young child to go to bed can tell you that. But even more difficult is the transition between being a youngster and being an adult, that period of time when the freedom of childhood must be left behind for the responsibilities of adulthood and the burdens that accompany it.

Every culture has its coming of age stories, and the story told here is one of ours, the story of Merlin the magician, who appears to teach an orphaned boy named Arthur about the uses of magic. Arthur was adopted by a kind knight, Sir Ector, and now serves as squire to Sir Ector’s son, Kai, but he longs to be a knight himself. Merlin, who can see the future, knows that Arthur is destined for greatness – is destined, in fact, to do something thought to be impossible: remove a certain sword that has been thrust into a stone, an act that only the true king of England can perform.

Hopefully, I haven’t given anything away. My bet is I haven’t. My bet is that you’re an adult, and you already know this story. This particular telling isn’t meant for you adults anyway; it’s meant for your children, and it’s the official inaugural production of the newly formed Scottish Rite Children’s Theatre. (It’s also offered only on Saturday mornings, and you’ve got to admit, tearing the kids away from the television on Saturday mornings isn’t exactly a bad idea.) The Scottish Rite Theatre has been open for business for a long time, but only recently has it officially formed a children’s theatre to complement the services that it offers through its Learning Center of Austin and the Scottish Rite Hospital for Children. Melissa Livingston directs this often charming production and manages to get quite charming performances from most of her actors. Sara Yamada is coyly attractive as Guenevere, and Aaron Weisinger is an appropriately magical Merlin, but the real standout is Jesse Bertron as Arthur. This is Bertron’s freshman theatrical effort, and he shows an ease of delivery and a trust in the amusing and thoughtful script, written by Kathryn Schultz Miller, that belies his experience.

While there is much here for children to enjoy, there is much for adults as well. If you’ve never visited the Scottish Rite building, you’ll find it warm and welcoming, and the theatre itself is gorgeous, an old-fashioned proscenium with a ceiling that, like Shakespeare’s Globe, is fretted with golden (and silver) fire. The stage itself is outfitted with more than five dozen scenic drops, one of which, a forest, is used here. When it’s revealed, you’ll feel like you’re right in the middle of a fairy tale. And how many of us haven’t wished for exactly that?

This article appears in August 27 • 2004.