“Wiley, where are you?” a whiny, haunting voice asked. This was the question being raised time and time again, as I entered the Taylor Theater of UNCG. As soon as I walked in, I was enveloped into a world of fantasy and mischief; the play things of children’s imaginations. A cast of characters dressed in earthy robes chasing after a black and white polka-dotted hound dog had transformed the auditorium into a search party that was roaming up and down the aisles. With a crowd full of families and small children, all that surrounded were smiling faces wondering the same question as myself, “Who is Wiley?”
This fascinating tale has African roots and has been passed down through the generations with the central story focusing on a young boy coming into manhood and finding ways to trick the “Hairy Man.” When this oral folktale was written down for the masses of the United States, its setting changed from Africa to the swamplands of the Deep South. Its African roots are still apparent today in the heavy drum rhythms and haunting chants throughout the musical score. The central story is based on a young boy living with his mother, who must confront the Hairy Man and trick him three times to make him, “go away.” Wiley’s father was unsuccessful and it is up to him to save himself, his mother, and their trusty dog.
This story is based in imagination and contains a small, but talented cast. The lead characters are Mama, Wiley, Hairy Man, and a comical Hound Dog. Mama, as portrayed by Katy Sink, is a “single” mother who dabbles in the spirits and is known for her conjuring spells to help get her indolent son out of his bed to do chores. Wiley (Ramon Perez) is the lazy son, who suffers from nightmares and must venture into the forest to confront the Hairy Man, who was responsible for the loss of his father. Jonathon Johnson plays the overbearing, over the top, larger than life Hairy Man who lives in the swamp and is more comical than scary in part due to the younger audience. The Hairy Man, has only one chink in his bravado, Wiley’s best friend, Hound Dog. This loveable, amusing dog is played by Katie Esswein who takes this animal’s dialogue of grunts and barks, and becomes the comic relief for the entire show. The onstage, Matrix-style fights between Hound Dog and Hairy Man had brought the audience into an uproar of laughter alone.
The set was simple and made up of a creative use of props and people. The ensemble cast comprised of Caity DiSanza, Rob Morrison, Mark Scwab, CurrieTerrel, and Suzanne Ziko steal the show with their narration, musical interludes, and use of their bodies. They were able to be apart of the swamp forming a tree for Wiley’s escape to spinning into a circle and be the sound effects for the fights between Hound Dog and Hairy Man. The set was simple, yet made complex with the ensemble cast. The ensemble not only set the scene, but stole the show with their facial expressions and ability to pull the audience into this wonderful children’s story.
With this play’s length of only an hour, it is perfect for children of all ages. The play invites you into Wiley’s life and the audience doesn’t ever want to leave. The ending has a twist that is thoughtful and surprising. It’s a story helping to bring the common theme of growing up and taking responsibility accessible to all ages, not just children.
'Wiley and the Hairy Man' closed on March 21st. Call 336-334-4849 to purchase tickets for upcoming shows at UNCG, Taylor Theatre 406 Tate Street. Online ticket purchases are available "24/7" at http://boxoffice.uncg.edu.
