I was fortunate to have a front-row seat for a sneak preview of an upcoming all-kids Theatre III show directed and produced by Harvard resident Liz Ruark.
Oblio and Arrow are ostracized in the Land of Point. (Illustration by Helena Justicz, Bromfield grade 12)
“It’s actually a giant PowerPoint,” said Ruark as the show got underway—a perfect vehicle for a production titled “The Point!” On the “stage” appeared an illustration of a man and woman, looking a bit like soft dolls, their heads coming to points. In the woman’s arms is a tiny baby, Oblio, with a rounded head. The narrator describes what a disaster this is because in this Land of Point, everyone has a point. Next, a young Oblio and his dog Arrow appear, drawn by a different illustrator in sharper lines than his parents to emphasize how different he is—Oblio has no point. His mother makes him a pointed hat to cover up this fact.
He and Arrow are exiled to the Pointless Forest because the law is the law, and everything has to have a point. As the song “Think About Your Troubles,” prerecorded by one of the singers in the cast, plays, pictures of a river, trees, and mountains, done in acrylics, cross the screen. A different artist has drawn the characters Oblio meets in the forest, such as Pointless Man, Rock Man, and Three Fat Sisters, and actors will be speaking their parts live. Eventually Oblio returns home to tell what he has learned.
Seeing this excerpt from the show helped me understand what Ruark had written in an email: “I’m really excited to showcase this combination of theater and visual art using this 21st-century medium that has suddenly become a ubiquitous part of all our lives.” Theatre III, of which Ruark is a board member as well as a producer and performer, has been putting on monthly Zoom performances, which progressed from cabaret singers to ghost stories with settings and costumes to a Sherlock Holmes radio play with watercolor illustrations by Ruark’s daughter, ninth-grader Siena. “This show takes things to a new level,” said Ruark, combining singing, acting, and original artwork.
The king of the Land of Point. (Illustration by Julia Lowe, Bromfield grade 7)
The cast comprises singers, musicians, actors, and visual artists who range in age from 9 to 18 and are mostly from Harvard, with several from nearby towns. (The credits will run at the end of the show.) One vocalist is from Amherst and another from Boone, Maryland. Ruark explained that somehow the notice about Theatre III auditions got put on kidscasting.com, but the two singers didn’t care that this was a nonpaying, local production. Adults assisting Ruark are Theatre III’s sound engineer, Todd Short, and Nik Hunt, of the Bromfield music department, who figured out the accompaniment to two of the more complicated songs.
“I’ve wanted to do the show for a long time,” said Ruark, and this was the perfect year for it. The show has different origins, and it seems appropriate that it be produced with the varied art forms and technology that Ruark is using. It came out as an animated film, narrated by Ringo Starr, in the early 1970s. Also in the ’70s, Harry Nilsson made a record album of “The Point!” with songs interspersed in the narration. Ruark said she listened to the record as a kid and looked at the comic book that accompanied it. She loved the music. The song “Me and My Arrow” became a hit single. The record was never intended for performance, nor were the comic book characters meant to come to life; Ruark has made it happen.
As well as the music, Ruark loves the endless play on words and the strong message of “The Point!” What Oblio learns is that the Pointless Forest isn’t pointless. Everyone he met had a point to make, and so Oblio realizes, “I must have a point, too.” Everyone has a voice that should be listened to, even if it’s different from everyone else’s.
Ruark has worked with Superstar Productions at Hildreth Elementary School. She said she enjoys showing kids how much they can do. “It’s so cool to watch them realize what they are capable of” and to become more confident. “You can watch them grow right in front of your eyes.” Working with student visual artists has been a new experience for her.
The performance of “The Point!” is Friday, Nov. 27, at 8 p.m. To receive the Zoom link, email Ruark at lruark@theatre3.org. The show is free, but donations are gratefully accepted at www.theatre3.org. The message of “The Point!” is timeless, but timely, and as Ruark said, “We can all use some joy at this time.”
