ESCANABA — “Fantastic Mr. Fox” – A Review of Players de Noc Production

A fox in a henhouse is trouble for a farmer. In Roald Dahl’s telling of the tale, adapted from a children’s book to a feature film and stage play, a cunning fox begins a battle of wits with three farmers, Boggis, Bunce and Bean to steal their livestock and sip their cider.

At a glance, it is a simple tale of catch and escape. To see it unfold at Players de Noc on the Bonifas Stage in Escanaba however, the imagination goes wild.

We meet two young foxes at the scene of a crime and begin to appreciate how their lives may change once they have a little one to think of. Peaceful years go by in their cozy burrow until Mr. Fox is captivated by a need to be again, “Fantastic.” They buy a bigger treehouse. He buys a motorcycle. Some of this animal behavior is familiar.

Accompanied by his loyal opossum friend (Ty Peterson), Mr. Fantastic Fox (Amelia Chouinard) begins to escalate thieving the local farmers (Abraham Wessel, Caden Gylock, Daisy Ammel, and Aline Norkoli) until he provokes an equally elaborate plan of revenge from their part. The whole neighborhood of animals begins to take collateral damage, Clive Gadger (Mya Kressin), rabbits, moles, mice, and more until Mrs. Felicity Fox (Rylie Curylo), Ash Fox (Alizah Knauf) and cousin Kristofferson (Roman Zeise) are seriously imperiled. There is a flood, a rescue, an escape, someone loses a tail.

In the end, the story is not just about a fox greasing his chin, but reconciling how we see ourselves and how we are viewed by others. We are wild animals and loving parents. We are opportunists.

The young actors are compelling, not only as adorable animals or surly farmers, but as friends, families, rivals and enemies. They have great timing, beautiful costumes and lighting, a realistic amount of running in circles (as rabbits are want to do) and a tasteful death scene.

In addition to the actors in the fore, an enormous crew of stagehands, puppeteers, and production staff have created an animated world in miniature. The details in each decoration are mesmerizing and the soundtrack propels the mood from cheeky anticipation to backwoods strumming, marching to battle and home again.

The cast and crew are too many to name in this review, but it bears mentioning that Jaime Peterson as director did a tremendous job cultivating a vision, recruiting talent, and pulling together an all-star production staff. To the actors, designers, crew and consultants – we see you, and you are Fantastic.

Performances will be May 3, 4, 9, 10, 11 at 7:30 p.m. and May 5 at 1:30 p.m. at Bonifas Fine Arts Center stage.