The latest show by the Tabard Theatre Company opened on Friday, September 7 at the Triton Hall Pavilion.  More Than Petticoats is the story of seven women who had a significant impact on the history of California in its first 100 years of statehood.  Petticoats is the first of three new productions by the Tabard Theatre Company. 

 

For this, Tabard’s seventh season, the theme is “7-year Itch, Itch for Something New.”  In keeping with this theme, Tabard is creating these new shows themselves with the stated goal of each show being “…a completely different theatrical adventure.”   Unlike past productions, Tabard wrote this play and will write two more plays during the 2007 – 2008 season.  On November 30, Tabard will open Stop Time!, a “…lively revue of 20th century music” and in April 2008, Pandemonium, “…Susannah Greenwood’s innovative twist on the tale of Pandora’s Box….” 

 

Eric H. Turner’s book, More Than Petticoats:  Remarkable California Women provides the starting point for the current production as the play delves into the lives of seven remarkable women from California’s history – Jessie Benton Fremont, Tye Leung Schulze, Mary Ellen Pleasant, Julia Morgan, Toby Winema Riddle , Dorothea Lange and Mary Austin.  Past shows by Tabard had a dynamic excitement that drew in the audience.  “Show” doesn’t really describe the feeling correctly as each production made the viewer feel as if they were somehow involved in the goings-on and not just sitting by the sidelines watching.  That’s been a consistent appeal of Tabard and something one looks forward to seeing again and again. 

 

“7-Year Itch, Itch for Something New” is a different approach for Tabard.  Rather than a fictional tale such as A Taffeta Christmas, Mr. Pim Passes By or Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Petticoats is a retelling of history.  History lessons, if one remembers their schooling, can often be uninspiring and rather insipid, which presents an enormous challenge when brought to the stage.  No sane playwright would have characters stand on stage delivering a monotone retelling of who they are, what and why they did what they did.  In keeping with a Tabard tradition, telling the story is one of the main appeals of this play.  Characters’ stories are intermingled during the production as the audience is taken from one individual to the next and back again as “their” stories are told in the actors’ voices.  The audience witnesses the depictions of different times in history as the characters interact with their colleagues, friends, husbands, wives and children. 

 

While Petticoats doesn’t have the verve of past productions, it is still captivating nonetheless.  The downside is that the story telling style can be a bit confusing when the play first opens and the stories are recounted.  However, once past the first few minutes, the story moves along with the second act having a more amusing and lighter feel.

 

More Than Petticoats is a short run with the remaining shows Wednesday, September 12, Thursday, September 13 at 8pm and Friday, September 14 at 3pm and 8pm.  More Than Petticoats is presented at the Triton Hall Pavilion, 1900 Don Avenue in Santa Clara behind the Triton Museum of Art.  In keeping with tradition, a portion of the proceeds from the concessions are donated to the Girl Scouts of Santa Clara County.  For more information on the show, call 408-679-2330 or visit www.tabardtheatre.org/box.html.