Players Club of Swarthmore Puts On A Poultry Tale: Honk!

by Angela Robb

Honk has always been that show that I’ve heard so much about but never really gave a chance. I knew it was a retelling of the story of The Ugly Duckling by Hans Christian Anderson and I’ve heard lots of people say how cute it is but I never listened to any of the music or looked into how much they expanded on the story. All of that changed this past weekend when I went to my first performance at Players Club of Swarthmore to see Honk!

From the second the show started I was blown away by the amount of talent that was on stage and off. If you told me I was watching a regional production rather than community theatre I would have completely believed you. Each actor was so precise in what they did and each member of the creative team went above to design cohesive elements to not only tell the story but to ensure it was done effectively. Upon arriving in the theatre the audience is immediately presented with the set, built by carpenter Jimmy Psitos. The set consisted of a double level wooden barn. The top level was the home of the Duck family and houses their eggs and Ida’s nesting chair. The rest of the stage was for everything else including the farmyard, multiple houses, and even under water. Director Scott Garvin was able to indicate a location change very well by use of lighting, additional set pieces, or other simple yet effective elements. Everything flowed together and there were no long scene changes or pauses which kept the audience, including the youngsters, engaged. Props to stage manager Jessica Beaver who kept things flowing behind the scenes so things could move effectively on stage. No props were missed and all entrances were made which really proved to me how smoothly she was running things back there. 

Another thing that really impressed me with this production was the lights, designed by Jack Janovsky. The lighting didn’t just light the actors but was really used to amplify the ambiance of the scene. Whenever the characters were underwater the scene was set with blue lighting (and bubble machines!). During scenes taking place at the night the stage was dark but each actor was still visible. Jack Janovsky was able to find that special balance by illuminating the set with blue lights and each actor also had a flashlight which was turned on and off at specific beats. Kudos to Scott Garvin for the attention to detail in that blocking as well as to Jessica Beaver, Nancy Reisen, and Charlie Myers who assisted with lighting by running spotlights and working the light board.

One element I found had a lot of detail was the costumes. The costumes were relatively simple but compelling. Most of the characters on the farm wore farm wear enhanced by the color of their species. Ida, Ugly’s mother, was dressed like a farm wife in a black work boots and a plaid dress with yellow print to symbolize that she is a duck. Drake, Ugly’s father, wore jeans and a yellow plaid shirt. Each of Ugly’s siblings wore yellow. Truly making him stand out from the first moment the audience sees him Ugly is dressed in white, foreshadowing the reveal that he is a swan. Adding to the fact that he doesn’t fit in, Ugly is dressed in typical nerd wear including an argyle sweater vest, shorts, knee socks, bow tie, newsboy cap, and thick black glasses with tape on them. On that same note the other swans are also dressed in white. Grace, a well to do duck, is dressed in a yellow dress with a hat looking like a mother in a 1950s sitcom. Maureen, another duck, is always seen exercising so she is in yellow and orange work out gear. The Cat, the villain of the story, is dressed in a tuxedo symbolizing the lavish and posh attitude cats have. 

Props were designed by Liz Brennan who really brought out the simpleness of the story by choosing uncomplicated props such as a small futon and television set for Queenie and Lowbutt to sit on and watch respectively and bales of hay that covered the top of the barn. My favorite prop was a large Wawa flag that is waved by a family of geese ala One Day More in Les Misérables which garnered a huge laugh from the audience. Sound was designed by Angela Boguk who did an excellent job. All of the sound was clear and the music score mixed well with the voices of the actors along with sound effects. 

It wouldn’t be a musical without song and dance and Honk had lots of it! Each of the performers truly were triple threats and music director Catherine Chambers and choreographer Alexa Wilder really showed that. Catherine did a fantastic job and it showed with the performance of the cast. None of the actors missed any notes and blended perfectly with each other and the score. The choreography was a bit more advanced than I am used to seeing in community theatre which was very welcome. It kept things interesting and from the opening number I was hooked. 

Kevin Gehringer played Ugly, the hero of the story. He had fantastic comedic timing and really showed the innocence and delightful nature of the character. Sarah Robbins played Ida, Ugly’s mother. Sarah brought a great balance to the role by showing her multi-faceted emotions such as Ida’s frustration with her useless husband while also loving him despite that and also how overwhelmed she is at raising a special child like Ugly while loving him all the same. Chris Monoco played Drake, Ugly’s father, along with Greylag the goose. While the script doesn’t do Drake a lot of favors while showing him as the fun dad who would rather go out than help his wife with the nest, Chris still managed to get the audience to see his side and make him sympathetic. Even though by all accounts he is not the best husband or father you still want him to succeed. My personal favorite in the show was Joel Johnson as the Cat, the villain of the story who wants to eat Ugly. He played the role very flamboyantly while not being too much. With his costume of a tuxedo and his dance moves showing off his flaired claws it showed off his sophistication and evilness bringing a big band quality to the character. It was easy to make the character too over the top but Joel found a good balance of making him funny while still a threat to Ugly. 

Chelsea Franchi played multiple character including Grace the duck, Lowbutt the chicken, and a mother swan and despite how unalike each character is from each other Chelsea played them so efficiently and differently. Mia Rae Sanchez played Penny, the swan Ugly eventually falls in love with, and played her so sweetly and it perfectly matched up with Kevin’s sincerity in the role of Ugly. Aaron Shown also played multiple roles including a bullfrog, turkey, swan, and jaybird. He brought a lot of humor to each of the characters as well as a very lovely singing voice. He was one of my favorite performers in the show to watch and I enjoyed whenever he came on stage in a different role. Alexis Lounsbury played Henrietta and Dot, a duck and goose respectively. I enjoyed her performance and wish she had more roles because she played each of her characters splendidly. Ugly’s siblings Billy, Beaky, Downy, and Fluff were played by Taron Goldsboro, Alex Pollard, Lauryn Ciardullo, and Riley Younger Walker respectively. While their characters were mean to Ugly, seen teasing him frequently throughout the show, including in the background of scenes, it didn’t make them unrelatable and it felt like they were truly siblings picking on the younger brother. 

After the show I got out of my seat and I was really able to process how full the audience was with families, particularly those with young children. Before the show I heard normal chatter but during the show I didn’t hear any disruptions from the audience. In fact, the theatre provided fidget toys and noise canceling headphones in the lobby for those that needed it! Not only were the children engaged but the parents were as well! Before the show started I heard many parents in the audience explaining to their children what the show was about and how to behave in a theatre. Exposing young children to theatre is so important and I am so glad that Players Club of Swarthmore has provided a way to introduce it to them and allow them to be patrons in a developmentally appropriate show.  I also give kudos to those parents in the audience who have not only chosen to expose their children to theatre but also prepare them for what was going to happen in a developmentally appropriate way. I had an incredible time at Honk and I will definitely be back to Players Club of Swarthmore to see more shows! They really set the bar high with their performance quality and I can’t wait to be impressed again with what they have to offer. If you are looking for something to do, with or without your children, in the nice air conditioning this weekend I recommend seeing Honk. The show closes July 21, 2024 and it is not to be missed! Tickets can be purchased at: https://pcstheater.org/