Mermaids!

Hello People of the Interwebs!

Today, I'm going to review a different kind of piece than I usually do. It's a 10 minute animation by Alexander Petrov, entitled "The Mermaid". 

The story is beautiful. A young man falls in love with a mermaid that he keeps seeing. His mentor, an old man, recognizes her as his bride from when he was younger. While the story is simple, it's done in a very elegant way. The ending is peaceful and thought provoking, and it should be watched.

The details of the animation are spectacular. While the pictures don't flow together like modern day movies and animations do, it has a very melancholy and natural feeling to it, like each frame was carefully crafted with the tender and caring hands of a passionate artist. It's truly an awe inspiring creation. It brought tears to my eyes as I watched.

You can watch it here. It is very short, and every second of it is amazing!

This is the Teenage Critic, signing off!

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The Old Man and the Old Moon

Hello People of the Interwebs!

"Oh, shadow puppets and fake animals" I thought as I first sat down in my seat, to watch "The Old Man and the Old Moon" by PigPen Theatre Company, at the New Victory Theater. "This is going to be painful". Boy, was I ever wrong.

This well written, well told story is about an old man who fills up the moon every day, so it is always full. His wife wants to go adventuring, but he doesn't. She leaves, and he follows her, leaving the constantly leaking moon unattended.

It truly is a journey of whimsy and magic. All of the actors portray their (multiple) characters with such skill and mastery, that it's hard to believe that there are just seven of them! The show itself filled me with a warmth, and gave me chills the entire time. The set is a simple color, but has a very complex design, and the use of shadow puppets and regular puppets to portray the story is done exceptionally well.

All in all, it's possibly one of the best theater experiences that I've ever had. I've actually now seen it twice, bought their CDs, and had one of the CDs signed. My friend Sydney, whose blog is really good, asked the actors to sign her neck! (They did, by the way!) The actors are brilliant, and really kind. It was such a pleasure to see the show as many times as I did, and to have met the actors! If they're performing near you, go and see this magnificent show!

Check them out at http://www.pigpentheatre.com/, and support them! Their show is at the New Victory Theater in New York City, and runs until October 13th.

This is the Teenage Critic, signing off!

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Here's my friend, with her neck signed by the actors!