Review

During the 2007 Cincinnati Fringe Festival, we made a concerted effort to squeeze in as many shows as we possibly could, eventually taking in 20 of the 30 shows offered, but “The Kid in the Dark” was one of those that we couldn’t get to.

So I’m glad that Know Theatre Company decided to revive the Mark Halpin/Andrew Smithson revue, directed by CCM chair Richard Hess.

“The Kid in the Dark” is a collection of 17 songs performed by a five-singer ensemble. The songs don’t tell a story, but tell 17 stories. Many of them funny, the others thoughtful and reflective. The funny ones are better, but there’s really not a clunker in the bunch.

There’s “It’s All Going to End,” a solo tango sung by a young woman waiting for a date in a restaurant, trying not to act annoyed or embarrassed as she comes to the realization that she has been stood up and the evening is going to end with cake, leading into a complete dessert binge.

In “Not a Gay Anthem,” a young man asserts that his sexuality is not a political issue, nothing to be fussed over. He just likes guys, that’s all. “Black and White” is an ode to the crossword puzzle, and in “The Sum of Us,” a childless couple find shades of each other’s personality in their dog.

On the more reflective side, there’s “A Blank Sheet of Paper” in which an artist engages himself to the possibilities inherent in the empty page, and “I’m Going to Live Forever,” an ensemble piece that explores the good and band points of immortality.

“How Could I Not?” is an explosion of joy and “Daylight on Mars” finds pleasure in life’s little surprises.
Halpin has a nice way with words, able to turn a phrase with a bit of flair and come up with some unusual rhymes.

There’s no plot or through-line to the songs, but many of the characters seem to be seeking out some kind of connection. The title song, for instance, tells about a young man in a theater surrounded by strangers, some of them his family, absorbing the magic.