Hogwash: Fun for Kids of All Ages

We hate to use such a cliché for a post title, but in this case it's actually true. Seattlest had an opportunity to check out the children's improv show Hogwash this weekend, and despite worries that it would provide nothing but boredom for us (we're happily childless), we were suprised at how entertaining the production actually was, and would heartily recommend it for you Seattlest readers out there with little ones in tow.

Held on Saturday afternoons, Hogwash operates like any other improv group, taking prompts from the audience to seed their fable-like tales about compromise, cooperation, and the merits of friendship. While we wanted more in the way of retribution for the stories' villains, each story concluded with tidy endings and smiles all around, the bad guys having last-minute changes of heart.

For the session we attended the troupe made their way through two stories. The first involved a pet fish and butterfly going to an audition for parts in a new Star Wars movie, their efforts not quite thwarted by the neglected pet snake and toad from the household's backroom. It's no spoiler to say that they all ended up as friends at the end. The second story's was entitled "Mac and the Giant Cheese," a Cinderella tale involving an evil aunt and uncle and a protagonist that longed to travel the world on a ship. You can probably figure out the way the story goes, minus the twists involving magic and an alien. In any case, it all came together with a nice tidy ending.

In all, Hogwash evoked the feeling of playing in your backyard with friends. The cast had a knack for interacting with the kids and dealing with their excited outbursts, and the kids were excited to see their ideas come to life. The live band helped to bring the entire experience together, making this a wonderful Saturday afternoon family excursion. In a world where most forms of entertainment strain to be extreme(!) or hyperstimulating, it's refreshing to see that there are still groups out there allowing your imagination to fill in the blanks.

Hogwash – An Improvised Tall Tale For Small Children
Runs Saturdays at 2 p.m. until October 28, 2006
Historic University Theater, 5510 University Way NE (University District)
$10, Reservations - 206-297-1767