There have been many different adaptations on the short story The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving. There is the 1999 Tim Burton movie, which takes the legend down a violent, horror path. There is also the ‘family friendly’ 1949 Disney version The adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad. Then there is this version, a co-production between Alberta Theatre Projects and Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, featuring The Old Trout Puppet Workshop. This script adaptation is written by Anna Cummer, and Judd Palmer along with The Old Trout Puppet Workshop’s Peter Balkwill and Pityu Kenders. It should be a recipe for magic. The production is not.
Usually, The Old Trouts create wonderous images with their puppets. But the script isn’t really sure where to focus, the tension is spread throughout the script, not concentrated in rising action and a climax. This is a production that you really want to find the horror, suspense, or truth. And you just…. don’t. The play meanders a lot, explores components of the original short story, but creates whole new ones and can’t decide what its thesis is. It winds up being a weak production that has some neat aspects to it. But audiences will leave the theatre unsure and a little disoriented.
It’s 1790 America and the play introduces Ichabod Crane (Matthew Mooney) a school teacher who has been sent to the glen known as Sleepy Hollow. He’s immediately greeted by townsman Van Ripper (Christopher Clare) with a gun. Ichabod tries to prove his credentials when his greeting party include Brom (Devon Brayne) and Anna (Alice Wordsworth) who is a curious child. After trying to have him leave, the way he came with various warnings of the headless horseman who terrorizes the forest at night, Ichabod eventually secures lodgment with Van Ripper and Anna. He has a mission to teach the people of Sleepy Hollow how to critically think and to not believe in ghosts. We then meet the Mayor Baltus (Doug McKeag) and his wife Gerda (Jamie Konchak) and their daughter Katrina (Emily Howard), and the play turns into political theatre about Loyalists and Rebels as well as exploring a possible romance between Ichabod and Katrina.
The Old Trouts have created a set that is beautiful, with far reaching trees and leaves that decorate the stage floor. They have ghosts in the beginning of both acts that warn of the dangers ahead, but they are kind of cartoony. Then there is the headless horseman. The buildup to this aspect of the play is immense, and Headless is quite disappointing. He isn’t scary enough with the buildup, but he isn’t necessary a failure as a puppet. It’s just all out of place.
The narrative talks about the brutality of war, and the mayor and his family are struggling to not emotionally bleed out from the brutality of their suffering. And amongst all this, you can’t tell what side Ichabod is on. He tries to be everything to everyone and winds up having it unravel.
There isn’t a performance that is particularly weak by any means. All of the artists on stage put forward strong performances, notably Howard as Katherine, constantly hiding her true story while Wordsworth’s performance is also nuanced and dynamic, playing the role of a child, while also having adult insight. Jamie Konchak really shines her character Gerda speaks about keeping her child together, as if she can by sheer force of will, keep the taters of her family together.
There is a lot being said by The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. It’s just not all coherent, it doesn’t have a thesis statement. Which is a bit a shame for the potential that this play had behind it.
Alberta Theatre Projects in association with Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity’s production of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow runs until November 9th. More information is available online.