‘Old Mother West Wind’ @ Hip Pocket Theatre
Photos by Shannon Atkinson
—Jan Farrington
A frog singing a tango? Don’t laugh—it was rather thrilling, if unexpected. You never know what you’ll see out there in the fields of far west Fort Worth.
Hip Pocket Theatre’s Old Mother West Wind opened on a cool evening with Merry Little Breezes onstage and off. Adapted by HPT founder Johnny Simons and his longtime musical partner Douglas Balentine (from a popular children’s book written around 1910 by naturalist and conservation activist Thornton Burgess), it was first put on by the Hipsters in 1978, the company’s third season.
Director Lake Simons (she and sister Lorca are the children of founders Johnny and Diane) writes in her program notes that she was only five at the time, and has a hazy memory of dancers, “beautiful painted backdrops,” and “soulful beloved songs.” And I’d second her comment on the songs—because even more than is normal for Hip Pocket, the magic of Balentine’s music and the quaint-but-evocative lyrics he and Johnny Simons adapted from Burgess’ stories are the heart and soul of the show.
Four vocalists—John Dyer, Lois Leftwich, Allen Dean, and Aaron Knowles , Dias—have places onstage, and also participate in the stage action. They’re backed by a live band; co-music directors Joe Rogers on keyboard and Dyer on guitar; Chris Hasty on bass; Dillon Phillips on drums; and Mario Cruz/David Williams on saxophone.
And Old Mother West Wind? Well, she “comes down from the purple hills” as she does every day, “in the golden light of the early morning.” Played on opening weekend by Dakota Foster (subbing for Peggy Kirby, who originated the part in ‘78!), she’s a maternal spirit with a tough core: one moment she’ll be “gently rocking her baby the Earth” and the next she’ll be scolding a young fox for his careless ways.
The story line takes us from dawn to dusk on a single day; the (mostly) animal characters live in a green countryside and are happy with it “coming on Spring.” They spend the day searching for food, chasing excitedly after whatever they think is “the best thing in the world” (aren’t we all such strivers?), and trying to avoid the farmer’s boy Tommy Brown (Harper Caroline Lee), whose wee little shotgun is his favorite toy. If there’s a villain in the piece (though he doesn’t seem as deadly as he’d like), it’s the boy and his dog Browser (Carlos Romero), always cheerfully on the hunt.
This is such a Seventies show, crunchy and laid-back. (Susan Austin’s earth-toned costumes are imaginative grab-bag creations—nothing new under this sun.) It’s be-kind (to the Earth, to the creatures, to each other) message and “live in the day” lessons give some heft to the story without being too preachy, and the author’s voice comes through beautifully. This is the sort of bedtime story your great great (great?) grandparents read to their kids…and some of those kids raised you.
Veteran actor Gary Payne is flustered and fun as Johnny Chuck, who stays near his hole in the ground and frets over winds and critters who snatch his juicy corn cob or hat. Lee (cheeks flushed with eagerness) and Romero make an energetic pair as boy & hound dog. Ash Vance is a super-athletic Happy Jack Squirrel, with James Warila as a good-hearted (though not always popular) Jimmy Skunk. Aaron Knowles Dias (also one of the vocal foursome onstage) is a cute brown-eared Peter Rabbit, with Lauren Ivy Chiong as Hooty the Owl (who sees a lot from her tree).
Sara Rashelle is feisty and protective as Granny Fox, with Adia Best as lively young Reddy Fox, her risk-taking grandchild—who swipes a pet chicken for lunch and incurs the wrath of boy Tommy, plus a stream of warnings from Old Man Buzzard (Vance) and Old Man Coyote (Ron Fernandez). Cy Dyer, Lily Garcia, and Jericho Parker are adorable as the flitting Merry Breezes.
Special mention goes to Lourdes Bradley, who portrays both Lightfoot the Deer and (I think) Mrs. Redwing, mother of a nest-full of red bird babies (tiny puppets by Lake Simons). Bradley’s ballet skills get a lovely workout in both roles…and the beauty of her dancing is set against her sad need to be smart and sharp—”especially in the season of the hunt.”
And last but never least, remember the frog I mentioned at the start? That would be Grandfather Frog, played and sung by the terrific Allen Dean (stepping out from the vocal quartet in a classy jacket with forest-shimmery epaulettes, yet!). His “Chug-a-Rum” number, sung to a tango beat in his resonant voice, tells us that living in the moment is the best way to get through life: “Everything lives, everything up and dies”—but Grandfather enjoys each day, and hopes the rest will “work itself out as I go.”
The show sails by in little more than an hour. We wave “Bye, Bye” to Old Mother West Wind, and to an early piece from the Hip Pocket that’s come ‘round again—a gentle pleasure to hold against our battered 2025 hearts.
WHEN: August 1-24, 2025 (music @ 8:00, show at 9:00)
WHERE: 1950 Silver Creek Road, Fort Worth
WEB: hippocket.org
