Recap Harold And The Purple Crayon

When you think about it, Harold And The Purple Crayon seems like a book specifically designed to be difficult to adapt onstage. After all, its protagonist is a tiny, bald child who looks like an old man walking around in footie pajamas. Should the main actor be a thespian child in a bald cap, or an adult in PJs? Beyond that conundrum, the aesthetic of Harold is about as minimalist as children’s books come—just a purple crayon, and white paper. How do you carry that out in three dimensions?

The Seattle Children’s Theatre must have been inspired by the outside-the-box, imagination-fueled story line, because its traveling adaptation is quite zany. Playing at the Children’s Theatre Company until Feb. 26, it’s a chance to show kids a slant on the stark original that includes plenty of mixed-media theatrics.

First things first, Harold is played by a grown man (Don Darryl Rivera) in footy pajamas and what appear to be Toms shoes, with a whole head of hair. He has two storytelling friends, who giggle, sing, and operate a rotating cast of puppets, ready to snuggle at any time Harold happens to draw a bed. The story stays true to the original book, but elaborates extensively with lighting, disco balls, 2D-turned-3D sculptures and plenty of original songs. These colorful numbers give the production a Disney-like quality that had many kids dancing along.

With such a colorful adaptation, it takes awhile to get oriented at this production of Harold And The Purple Crayon. At one moment you’re just watching Rivera drag purple tape majestically around a white stage, and at the next he’s singing about love with a couple of pie-covered animals. But after you’re introduced to the many storytelling dimensions of this play, you get on track with the story of Harold going to the moon and back, all in his crayon-fueled imagination.

While the elaborateness of this production takes a bit of getting used to—“Wait, it’s not just a guy drawing on a huge paper background?”—the additions the STC made are certainly memorable. From a friendly dragon looking for a new pair of (not sharp) teeth to an orange fish made out of a chinese lantern, the characters are lovable and beautifully made, causing the kids in the audience to laugh, worry, and even ask a few literary questions.

Despite the many different textures between the book and the play, the STC’s version managed to keep the sense of wonder intact. The production places a lot of weight on those purple lines and the power they had to take the story to new places. The show reminds audiences that Harold And The Purple Crayon is all about creativity’s ability to bring out our inner worlds—and that’s an important thing to remember, for adults too.