A Local Performance For A Home Stage

Local Grandchildren Pack A House For A Home Theater Performance Not To Be Forgotten

By Phyllis Lombardi

Runs in the family, I guess. Consider Fred and Adele Astaire, the Barrymores, Henry Fonda and his kids, Kirk Douglas and son Michael, Francis Ford Coppola and nephew Nicholas Cage.

And Elise and Ian Anderson. Not heard of 'em? Just you wait. This sister/brother team seems destined for show business fame. They're young - Elise is 12, Ian is ten, but give them a few years and these two, who made their debut in Southold a few weeks ago, should be Hollywood- or Broadway bound.

Set the scene. Every year or so, Elise and Ian, who live in Ottawa, Canada, visit grandparents Sandi and Dennis Kaser of Southold. The Kasers face that universal grandparent question: What to do when young grandchildren visit. In this case, the kids were on a week's break from school and what better place to go than the North Fork. Now Grandma Sandi worked with marionettes both in schools and in Southold Free Library. So a show and stars were born.

First, Sandi and the youngsters selected a story - The Bigger Giant, an old Irish legend. The three set to writing dialogue and manipulating the marionettes. True, Elise and Ian had played with the marionettes on previous visits to Southold, but never, ever, a performance. How exciting!

A little publicity and invitations to people all over the North Fork guaranteed an audience. When I drove up to the Kaser's spacious, old (1753) home/theater, the first thing I saw was a sign directing theatergoers to parking. So professional.

Inside, I checked my coat and purchased my ticket. At $2, a real bargain. Not only 1940s prices, but I was entitled to refreshments. Sandi's homemade cookies, homemade cakes, apple juice. Beats $90 tickets and $4 bottled water in a New York City theater.

The Kaser living room is spacious. A portion of it was given over to the stage where Elise and Ian "pulled strings" and gave voice to the marionettes. Sandi had draped gold brocade fabric over a specially-constructed frame so the show curtain was elegant.

The rest of the living room seated the audience. Kids in the orchestra (floor), and older folks in the balcony (scores of chairs). A spotlight flicked on and the show began.

The Bigger Giant features two huge guys. In this version of the legend, Finn McCool is a good giant and Cuchulainn is a naughty/nasty giant. Cuchulainn is so strong he can pick up a house and turn it around so its windows catch the gentle Irish breezes. He has beaten up all Irish giants except Finn McCool. This McCool guy is so big he can uproot a tree and use it as a walking stick. The two giants meet and naturally, good triumphs over evil. Cuchulainn is brought down by McCool, not by strength but by trickery. I'm not going to tell you what that trick is in case you want to see an encore performance.

When the curtain fell there was much applause and laughter. Folks congratulated Elise and Ian on their debut. Grandma Sandi accepted praise, too, and revealed she had theater in her blood. Sandi's mom, Alice Dart, had been active in Mattituck's North Fork Community Theater for years. So here we have a three-generation show biz family.

After the show, audience members munched cookies and said hello to one another. Among the youngest attendees were six-year-old twins Cailin and James Duffy of Southold who came with their mom, Maryann. Fortunately Maryann is not a cookie-counter 'cause the twins were diggin' in.

Now to be six years old is to be young by most standards. But especially if you're 102 years old. That's right. Mr. George McAdams, a Kaser neighbor, enjoyed the performance. "My goodness. Look at all the kiddies." George was mighty happy and I'll add not one person checked to see how may cookies he had. If you're over 100 you've a right to any number of cookies, I think.

From Peconic came Judy and Ed Dart. Ed, Sandi's brother, had his camera so if some after-theater-gala shots show up in Dan's Papers, don't be surprised. Annabell Odell from Greenport, who was with her parents, will be in most of the photos. She sat comfortably on the arm of a big easy chair in the middle of the living room.

Everyone's invited when Elise and Ian visit and perform again. After all, the show's the thing wherein we catch a glimpse of North Fork life.

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