by Brendan Deneen

directed by: Martin Miller

light designer: Amy Harper
set/costume designer: Anne Carnevale
assistant director: Kevin Molesworth
puppet designer: David Lane
stage manager: Andrea DiVincenzo
children's theatre liaison: Elizabeth Bonwich
production manager: Scott C. Embler
dir. of children's theatre: Bruce Merrill

Featuring: Jennifer Blake, Lily Burd, Booth Daniels, Melinda Ferraraccio, Kristina Latour, Andrew MacDonald, Dennis Schebetta, Tigh A. Walters

Review

New York Times

April 6, 2001

Family Fare: Worming His Way Back

By LAUREL GRAEBER

The early bird doesn't always catch the worm. If he's Mortimer, the hero of the latest production by the Vital Children's Theater, he would much rather watch the sunrise, thank you.

Although Mortimer is a gentle soul, his parents think he has an attitude problem. He not only prefers plump berries to wriggling worms, but he also flies like a child doing a belly flop into a pool. After overhearing his mother call him lazy, Mortimer resolves to leave the nest until he gets a better grasp of aerodynamics. As he wanders, lost, he meets Lucius, a loquacious young worm who is thrilled to learn of his vegetarian tastes. Before long, Lucius disguises Mortimer as a worm and takes him home to meet the family.

Written by Brendan Deneen, "Mortimer: The Lazy Bird" has a plot with the familiar ring of Aesop's "Lion and the Mouse" or Disney's "Fox and the Hound." You know that Mortimer will earn his wings and the other birds will soon learn that worms are people, too. But the script offers enough wit to amuse parents and enough charm to beguile 3- to 10- year-olds. And if you wonder how anyone could fail to recognize a bird with a sock on its head, it's useful to remember that visual acuity isn't an earthworm attribute.

As Mortimer, Andrew MacDonald projects the wholesomeness and sincerity of Big Bird. Booth Daniels, whose Lucius sounds like Woody Allen at his most anxious, is one young actor who won't mind being compared to a worm. The production's headgear is to be applauded, too. Although Lucius's folks may look like worms to children, they will remind adults of nothing so much as another hilarious family: the Coneheads of vintage "Saturday Night Live."

"Mortimer: The Lazy Bird," through April 29 at the Vital Theater Company, 432 West 42nd Street, third floor, Clinton, (212) 592-4508. Saturdays at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. and Sundays at noon. Tickets: $10. Reservations advised.

Copyright 2001 The New York Times Company

Digital City

Mortimer: The Lazy Bird

He truly is a bird of a different feather.
The title of this new children's play actually maligns the hero. Mortimer isn't lazy; he just has really small wings that prevent him from learning to fly. Unfortunately, he is born into a dysfunctional family that thinks he's a good-for-nothing instead of "wing-dicapped." Mortimer runs away from home and meets a worm named Lucius. In most cases, Lucius would be a tasty meal but Mortimer needs all the friends he can get. The bird and worm become bosom buddies and even go so far as to disguise Mortimer as a worm so he can infiltrate the worm colony. Many adventures ensue and through it all, the plucky bird perseveres and finally learns to fly. Children will learn from Mortimer that it's possible to be friends with someone even if you are completely different. Not a bad lesson to come away with. -- Bijou Miller