"MYSTERIES OF MONSTER GROVE," through June 12, Harris Fine Arts Center, BYU, Provo (801-422-4322); running time 1 hour, 10 minutes (no intermission)
PROVO — Werewolves and swamp things and ogres — oh my! Throw in a witch, a mummy and a vampire and you have the perfect scene for a crime. That's just what you'll find in BYU's latest production, "Mysteries of Monster Grove."
Written in part by cast members and based on stories by local author Rick Walton, the children's play made its debut last week.
The show tells the story of Amelia, whose father, an accountant, uproots the family when he gets a job in Monster Grove. With more dead people than living, the town is less than ideal for the young girl.
Far from their depiction in horror movies, however, the monsters are quirky, playful and just a little bit lovable. As everyone knows, monsters are no good with numbers — hence the need for an accountant.
Like her father, Amelia is good at math, but she wants to be a detective. She helps the monsters solve some of their mysteries but has a case of her own to crack when her father goes missing.
Throughout the play Amelia often stops to ask children in the audience for help, occasionally inviting them up on the stage. With help from the audience, as well as her invisible dog, she pieces together the puzzle.
A monster show in June may seem a bit out of season, but every day is Halloween in Monster Grove. In fact, it feels like Halloween in the theater. The eerie lighting, haunted castle and trick-or-treaters are quite convincing.
The large stitching and colorful patterns of the costumes make the show appear to be an illustration straight out of a children's book.
Audience members are immediately made to feel a part of the production by the friendly Amelia, played by BYU senior Adele Gabriel. Even before the show begins, she is out in the audience making friends with the children and asking for their help. Gabriel's small size and childlike demeanor make her a believable young heroine.
Her mother, played by sophomore Hailey Isaacson, immediately embraces the monsters and does her best to make the grove feel like home. It is a bit concerning, however, that she doesn't seem at all upset about the disappearance of her husband. Instead she spends the majority of her time baking cookies for the monsters.
Unlike their fearsome predecessors, the cookie-loving monsters have personalities all their own. The ever-teasing Mayor Frankenstein, played by Lawrence Fernandez, is always ready with a joke or a song to lighten the mood in the mostly dead town.
Despite her scary exterior, Ogre, played by BYU senior Andrea Gunoe, just wants to be loved. "Hugging friends better than eating friends," precedes a bone-crushing embrace from the green monster.
With eight monsters and seven different endings, the audience has to follow the clues and choose a culprit.
Even though it is aimed at a younger crowd, it is a show the whole family will enjoy.
The play is a fun reminder of what is like to be a child again, when young imaginations bring everything to life.
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