The Head, Hands, and Toe Show: Where's the Rest of Me?

The Head, Hands, and Toe Show: Where's the Rest of Me?

Running Time: 45 min.

Literally taking out the middle, man, this Tongue and Groove Theatre presentation finds easy humor in movement pieces where only the arms, feet, and heads of the performers are visible. Black cloths and black clothes are employed to allow one actor's upper parts to merge with another actor's lower limbs as if by magic, making for some instant humor, as well as some intriguing movement moments. It's rather effective low-tech theatre, a little rough around some edges, but the overall effect is simple fun, as evidenced by the happy families at last Saturday's matinee.

After an engaging preshow set of songs wistful, quirky, or humorous, the lovely little trio of Lisa Shawley on accordion, Jonathan Hoyle on a small tuba, and Chris LaCava on mandolin accompanied the acting troupe with more than a hint of music-hall panache. The performance is composed of a medley of turns that run the gamut from "Bei Mir Bist Du Schon," featuring classical ballerinas in rehearsal, to the underwater swim of "La Paloma," fish included. Of course, there's more than meets the eye. The feet of those lithe ballerinas look an awful lot like monkeys! And that swimmer better watch out for the enormous catfish lurking in the distance! More than a few numbers dance about the idea of mixing and matching upper and lower bodies, not always to the bodies' satisfaction: "Seventy-Six Trombones" involves a rather contrary pair of feet, and "Habanera" sees a cultured young woman browsing, trying on, and rejecting lower extremities to the sounds of that famous aria, until she spots the feet that meet her fancy. "I'm on a See-Saw" looks just like what the title predicts, with a lover's story tossed in for a bit of added bounce. And saddle up for "Don't Fence Me In," as the gals giddyup on horseback before your very eyes.

The whole thing is blithely informal, performed with shy smiles and large, small gestures and grand. From musical trio to nontorsoed company, director David Yeakle has his ensemble comfortably confident and ready to please.

Note that the matinee is shorter than the evening program; the hourlong evening program includes the entire contents of the matinee and adds some extra floor dances. On the other hand, the matinee has the added bonus of Yeakle -- an excellent mime himself -- performing a preshow turn that involves the children, some imagination, and a golden kazoo. So arrive, say, 15 minutes before curtain to make sure you don't miss a master of mime in action. It starts with Yeakle wandering in to put on his mime make-up while sitting on the edge of the stage, and what follows, like the rest of the short, cute production, is an invitation to audiences to share in some quiet, delightful laughter.