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>> "THERE'S A MONSTER IN MY CLOSET" DÉBUTS AT RIVERSIDE THEATER

September 2, 2010 12:35 am

By COLLETTE CAPRARA

FOR THE FREE LANCE-STAR

It may be nearing the official end of summer, but there's still time for area families to take one more trip--to an enchanted realm of fantasy creatures!

"There's a Monster in My Closet"--a delightful musical with humor, hilarity and heart--debuts at Riverside's Children's Theater this Saturday, and will whisk its audience to the topsy-turvy world of Dream Land.

As the story unfolds, young Emily and her best friend, Stephanie, are having a sleepover, when they hear a bump in the night coming from her closet.

They can hardly believe their eyes when they witness Emily's (heretofore undiscovered) "closet monster," Murray, sneak across the room and down the stairs to play with her video games.

Knowing that their tale would definitely not be believed by other kids (particularly Emily's taunting big brother and his gang), the girls enlist their friends in a plot to trap the monster--and the frenetic action begins.

Each of Emily's friends has a distinct character, including a tomboy, a bookworm, a skeptic, a glamour girl and a science-oriented clue-finder.

"The kids in the cast do a great job conveying those characters," said Barbara Cochran, who co-directs with her husband, Mel.

There is also a spectrum of characters among the Dream Land creatures, including the pompous, self-absorbed Dream King and his sidekick Toady; the impish monster, Murray, with watchful Wanda by his side; and a pair of Dream-Weaver sprites.

A broad variety of musical numbers, written by the prolific, award-winning composer Bill Francoeur, aptly conveys each character, with a touch of humor that will delight children and adults.

The Dream King struts his stuff with an Elvis-type doo-wop song--and, in a Dixie-land number dubbed "Downright Incompetence," he lambastes Murray for being AWOL from his monster duties.

Murray's freewheeling character comes across in his solo, "I Got My Groove On," a James-Brown-style number, complete with blanket/cape.

To emphasize the colorful Dream Land characters, the Cochrans chose to create the sets and props exclusively in black and white, and designed them on the basis of drawings submitted by the younger members of the cast and their siblings.

In fact, one of the children whose drawing was selected to be used as a set piece will be noted in the program as the "assistant set designer."

The action rolls through several raucous, failed attempts to capture Murray, and ends with a touch of sweet sentimentality. While, "as everyone knows," a personal Closet Monster is assigned to watch over each and every child from birth, there comes a time when every youth outgrows the need for that companion--and Emily's time has arrived.

Murray bids his young charge farewell with a song called "All Through the Years," recounting the fears and tears Emily experienced as she was growing up.

Yet the lovable monster's reminiscence is quickly followed by a bright spot, as Wanda announces, "There's a new baby who needs you now!"

"I'm hoping that the ending will particularly touch the parents in the audience," Barbara Cochran said. "Although my children are grown now, it made me think back through the years, when I realized that my son and daughter were growing up and would be going away.

"In the play, Emily is about 12 or 13 years old--just at the cusp of leaving her childhood and getting ready to step into her teenage years."

Collette Caprara is a local artist and freelance writer.