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‘Arkansaw Bear’ delivers dancing, dreams at Arts Barn

Wednesday, April 12, 2006

Click here to enlarge this photo Photo courtesy of Artstream (Above) Eric Bergan (Dancing Bear), Anna Zimmerman (Tish) become fast friends in the premiere production of ‘‘The Arkansaw Bear” by the region’s newest theatrical company Artstream. Click here to enlarge this photo Photo courtesy of Artstream From left: Patricia Krauss (Mime), Bergan, Zimmerman (Tish) and Audrey Lastar (Little Bear) take on the age-old dilemmas of growing old.

And thus begins the first scene of Aurand Harris’ classic children’s play ‘‘The Arkansaw Bear,” the premiere production of Artstream, the region’s newest theater company. It’s on stage on weekends through April 23 at the Arts Barn in Gaithersburg.

And while growing old and dying are serious subjects, this play promises plenty of humor along with the pathos, insists Patricia Woolsey, the play’s director and president of Artstream.

As Tish dozes off under her favorite tree, she is ushered into a magical world. In this parallel universe, she meets the self-proclaimed ‘‘world famous bear,” who like her elderly grandfather, is suffering from his own aches, pains and concerns. It seems life has been glorious for this successful entertainer, but now, after years perfecting his dance steps and performing around the world, his personal grim reaper — in the form of the circus ringmaster – is following him. A bit of luck or crazy fate has brought the grieving child and this aging Ursus together and they quickly become fast friends, helping each other navigate their own emotional landmines.

The play never comes even close to maudlin, insists Eric Bergan who takes on the role of Dancing Bear. Much of the time, he is dancing, wearing silly hats and simply being goofy.

‘‘It’s a funny, fantasy world,” explains Anna Zimmerman, who plays Tish. ‘‘Dancing Bear is cocky,” but then again, everybody is ‘‘a little overboard.”

In Dancing Bear’s first contact with Tish, he is unwilling to speak to this stranger or to anybody else, so a mime is brought in to translate. Looking up into the heavens, they both start asking the character Star Bright to grant their wishes, but eternal life isn’t within her realm of expertise.

In just 60 minutes, Woolsey promises that children will be entertained and maybe learn a something about the meaning of life.

This play isn’t for children younger than 5, Zimmerman insists. ‘‘They will get too fidgety,” she says, and while teens probably won’t want to see the play, ‘‘If they are forced, they will like it.”

For the 12-year-old veteran actress, who was last seen in ‘‘A Christmas Carol” at Ford’s Theatre, this is a challenging role.

‘‘I have to change from sad to happy in seconds,” she points out.

Bergan was equally stimulated by his role. The Silver Spring performer came out of an eight-year acting exile to take on what he calls an ‘‘actor’s dream assignment,” a part that includes ‘‘fighting for something and ending with a resolution.”

For Woolsey, bringing this play to the stage is a huge step in a larger master plan. Last May, five artists, who had worked together at Imagination Stage, started Artstream.

‘‘Our mission is to create programs designed to entertain the underserved communities, which includes people with disabilities, seniors, people with short-term illnesses and immigrants, veterans,” Woolsey explains.

They also are taking over Imagination Stage’s three Adult Accessibility performing companies that offer acting classes to individuals with physical and cognitive disabilities. Already, Artstream has plans to teach drama and movement classes to people with disabilities in three locations around the D.C. area.

In its short life, and while waiting for its nonprofit designation, Artstream has produced interactive plays for Camps Caring, a facility for children who have lost a parent or close relative; Camp Friendship, for children with cancer and their siblings, and dance and poetry classes for adults with autism at CSAAC, a provider agency.

And while ‘‘The Arkansaw Bear” is designed to be seen by the general population, groups like Hospice Caring is touting the play for children grieving the loss of a loved one, Woolsey notes.

It seems that celebrating life sometimes means talking about death.

‘‘The Arkansaw Bear” will be presented through April 23 at the Gaithersburg Arts Barn, 311 Kent Square Road. Shows begin at 8 p.m. Fridays, 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Saturdays, and 3 p.m. Sundays (except April 16). Admission is $10, $8 for residents. The Friday, April 14, show will be sign-interpreted. For information and tickets, call 301-258-6394 or visit www.gaithersburgmd.gov⁄RecXpress. A benefit performance is planned for 8 p.m. Saturday, April 22; visit art-stream.org.