An all-star local cast brings Pooh and Friends to life at OFT

The House on Pooh Corner features this winter’s most dangerous cast.

The group that director Pug Bujeaud and Olympia Family Theater have gathered to bring Olympia the story of Christopher Robin and his animal friends in the Thousand Acre Wood could put on literally any show whatsoever. Megatons of talent and experience fill out this cast, which boasts an especially strong base of physical comedy skills and a vast vocal range. These players are some of Olympia’s absolute best and many of them have worked together for Bujeaud before, most recently in Theater Artists Olympia’s adaptation of Reservoir Dogs.

Olympians most familiar with Pooh Corner characters via Disney’s adaptation can look forward to fresh interpretations of these familiar figures. Bettye Knapp’s script hews closer to A.A. Milne’s books than did the cartoons, which sanded down many of the characters’ personalities. Brian Hatcher, the oak-voiced Shakespearean titan playing Eeyore, says the donkey in this play will come a surprise to audience members expecting the defeated sad sack Disney delivered. Hatcher and Bujeaud described his attitude with the same phrase: this Eeyore is not so much disappointed with himself as he’s “disappointed with the world.”

At first glance, Bujeaud may seem a surprising choice of director to helm this production. Throughout the thirty-plus plays of her Olympia theater career, she has never been shy about filling the stage with carnage and chaos if the script demanded it.

“I’m known for all this angsty stuff, but I am a mommy!,” Pug protests. Certainly no one who saw her staging of The Weir this autumn at Tacoma Little Theater could argue that Bujeaud does not deal in warmth. “This was the only series I ever read to all my kids and grandkids,” says Bujeaud. “Pooh makes my heart feel full and happy.”

That feeling of warmth and fullness is key to this production. The notion of a found family such as the one the characters form in this story is a powerful idea for Bujeaud, one that runs in parallel to how the Olympia theater community has formed a circle of love around her. “It’s a very diverse, cross-species group that becomes a family, that sees each other’s foibles and cares for each other.”

These characters loving one another straight through their flaws is an idea that resonates with Chris Cantrell, the veteran actor playing Pooh. “Every thing is filtered through the eyes of a small boy where everyone has a place, cares and looks out for one another,” he says. “The smallest things have gigantic significance.” ◙

The House on Pooh Corner, presented by Olympia Family Theater, runs February 7-23 at the Washington Center for the Performing Arts. Curtain is at 7 PM on Fridays and 1 PM Saturdays and Sundays. On February 22 only, there is a second show at 4:30 PM. Admission is $16 for adults, $13 seniors or military and $10 for youth, plus a $3 service fee. Running time is a toddler-friendly 55 minutes. More info at olyft.org