Avenue Q Brings Felt and Raunch to PSU

There are some people out there who believe that puppets are child's play.  These people clearly have never seen Avenue Q.

Q was a Broadway mainstay from 2003 until 2009, and has continued in tours across the world.  The musical chronicles the lives of the unfortunate souls scraping by in life on the titular street. These unfortunate souls include failed stand-up comedian Brian and his Asian wife Christmas Eve (the only two non-puppet characters), optimistic post-grad Princeton, Kate Monster, Trekkie Monster, and Gary Coleman. 

Throughout the production, the audience learns valuable life lessons through songs like, "Everyone's a Little Bit Racist" and "The Internet is for Porn." The musical, which is split into two acts, plays like an episode of Sesame Street on bath salts.  Characters like Rod and Nicky are a riff on the latent homosexual nature of Bert and Ernie's relationship, and Cookie Monster could very easily take the place of Trekkie Monster if you replaced his obsession for baked goods with pornography and masturbation. 

Director of the Plymouth State production, Fran Paige, says that the play, "teaches us the same kinds of lessons we are taught children through similar shows, only with a more grown-up slant."  While there is a less vulgar version of the musical called Avenue Q: School Edition, which is intended for high school productions. "As far as our script goes, it is verbatim of the Broadway production," said Paige.

One of the most apparent aspects of Avenue Q (aside from the jarring effect of hearing puppets curse loudly) is how impressive it is for the actors to tell their story to the audience through their own body in addition to the seemingly lifeless actor attached to their arm.  While this may seem especially difficult for student actors who may not have much experience in puppetry, actor Andrew Kelley, who plays the protagonist Princeton, has had previous experience through his high school's production of Busy Town by Richard Scarry, where he played a worm. 

Kelley enjoys the challenge. "We not only have to convey emotion through our own body, but also through an inanimate object," said Kelley. All of the actors act through their puppets flawlessly. 

"One of our commitments to students is to give them the opportunity to work with diverse works, and Avenue Q is the type of production they may be cast in in the future," said Paige, who pointed out that all of the showings, from Wednesday to Saturday night, are currently sold out.  Those who were able to snag seats to Avenue Q should expect to learn some lessons special to the current (or soon to be current) disenfranchised post-graduate.

 Avenue Q is intended for mature audiences only and is currently playing at the Plymouth State University Silver Center for the Arts Friday, April 11 at 8:00 p.m., Saturday, April 12 at 2:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., and Sunday, April 13 at 2:00 p.m..  For further information contact the Silver Center at 603-535-2787