I wasn’t around in the 1830s, nor have I ever been what some call a strumpet, so my comments about Cygnet Theatre’s latest show “The Little Fellow” can be taken with as many grains of salt as seem reasonable to the reader. I should also confess that I arrived a few minutes after the show started (and was not given a program), so my comments about this particular demimonde may be a bit off.
But playwright Kate Hamill’s latest play about this world, now in its world premiere production through Nov. 19 at Cygnet, is decidedly a most unusual play in a world-class production, directed by Cygnet’s Rob Lutfy.
Most of the action takes place in the world of the strumpet Harriet (sometimes called Julia and played by Keiko Green), one of whose first lines is “Gentlemen always come,” which gives you a taste of what’s to come.
Harriet is attended by the servant girl Mary (Rachael VanWormer) and Sofia Jean Gomez, who plays several other characters as well.
There are also a few gentlemen callers, all played by MJ Sieber in various outfits and attitudes.
But never mind who’s who. Just relax and watch these ladies (and the occasional gentleman) at work and play, as you ponder the world of the wealthy and the not-so wealthy.
It’s easy to get confused (and I did), but it doesn’t really matter, because what we’re discussing here is a world most of us know only from reading or from exposure at a safe distance.
In case you’re wondering, the original “Little Fellow” was a horse, a young colt in a Marguerite Henry book by learns the meaning of jealousy and friendship.
In Hamill’s telling, there are only four actors, playing a variety of male and female roles. But all are excellently done and wondrous fun to watch, and will leave you with lots to talk about on the way home.
Don’t miss this show.
“The Little Fellow” plays through Nov. 19, 2023 at Cygnet Theatre, 4040 Twiggs Street in Old Town. Buy tickets online (cygnet@cygnettheatre.com) or call the box office: 619-337-1525.
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