TAFFE stands for Theatre Arts for Fun Education, and as led by Steven Oberman, specializes in developing theatre-based programs for presentation to school groups. Mr. Oberman has written one original musical, titled Claire Voyant, and now he has produced a second, Mozu, which runs through September 12 at Diversionary Theatre.

The Cast of Mozu

Photo courtesy of TAFFE Productions

Inspired by a PBS “Nature” documentary on the social lives of Japanese snow monkeys, Mozu explains how a macaque troop and its human protectors treats a member who has deformed hands and feet. While admirable in purpose, Mozu loses its way on several artistic levels.

Mr. Oberman is used to writing for children, and his approach to Mozu is similar to how someone might develop a musical for a children’s audience. Themes are kept simple, and points are repeated several times to make certain that they will be understood. Rather than focus on the travails of its title character (Rosalie Celestial), however, Mr. Oberman muddies the waters by portraying the social complexities of pack members who vie to wrest control from head male Nanda (Scott Andrew Amiotte) and head female Morulius (Caro Louise Aristei). It turns out that Mozu becomes involved in this plot, along with Nemu (Dan Feraldo), a lone monkey looking both to affiliate with and take control of the pack, and Mozu’s story gets lost in the process.

Jude Thomas’ music, likewise, is simple and repetitive, the kind of music that children may listen to over and over, and also the kind of music that can drive adults crazy when children demand to hear it over and over. Mr. Thomas supposedly relied on Japanese melodies, but his harmonies are almost entirely Western, and he more than once detoured into music that sounded much like Spanish folklorico, an impression encouraged by an orchestration for guitar (Alia Jyawook), flute (Emily Heck) and percussion (Daniel Pate).

The production is a mixed bag. Director Jim Strait has chosen to put the cast in Japanese attire and not try to represent them physically as snow monkeys. This choice implies some sense of ritualistic Japanese theatre sensibility, however, and outside of a brief opening sequence there were no discernible references to Kabuki or Noh presentation customs. Ted Crittenden’s set design (Japanese panels that swing and reverse), Ashley Jenks’ lighting design, and Jeff Polunas’ sound design made good use of the Diversionary facilities. Jeannie Galioto’s costume design, Michael Dondaville II’s wig design and Kathellen Kenna’s makeup design all emphasized ritual elements that were lacking in both the text (which commonly employed Southern California slang terms) and the directorial style (back rubs stood in for more formalized grooming, for example).

The cast seemed to have been selected for its ability to portray the characters, rather than its ability to sing. Some cast members did better than others in this regard, but the only excellent singer was Monet Payne, who, confusingly, played an unnamed female troop member in Act 1 and Mozu’s daughter in Act 2. Surprisingly, what should have been a key ballad fell to Mozu’s mother, Mori (D’Ann Paton), who talked her way through most of her solo singing assignments.

Others in the hardworking acting company included Michael Aviles (Itigo), and Justin Warren Martin (Uso).

In its current form, Mozu seems structured more for children than for adults, though intrigues over power in the troop, the dominant theme, seem geared more for adults than for children. I’d respectfully encourage Mr. Oberman to play to his strength and rework Mozu as a children’s show.

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