Little House on the Prairie

I REMEMBER the first time I went to the theater. I was in the eighth grade. Just then a theater interpretation of S. Y. Agnon’s short story “Tehilla,” at The Chen Theater, near the old Jerusalem railroad tracks was playing. In honor of my 13th birthday and the play’s protagonist, Tehilla — kind of being my namesake — my parents decided to take me out to see “Tehilla.”

At the time we always did things together as a family. I had never spent an evening alone with my parents before. It was special. I felt very grown up. I remember preparing, getting ready for the evening, brushing my hair and putting on a nice dress and pair of shoes. I remember when the lights dimmed and the curtain went up.

Ten or so years later I was living in New York. My youngest sibling at the time, my sister Riki, was coming in to New York from Denver for just one day on the way to summer camp. I decided I would treat her to a play.

Now she was the one who had just completed the eighth grade. She had never been to the theater. It was her first time, and she just loved it. We got amazing seats and saw the orchestra and all the drama of “The Scarlett Pimpernel” unfold pretty up close and personal, before our very eyes.

Now, my darling little cousins Sophie and Esther have been to the theater before. Oh, many times! Little community theaters here and there. But not the theater, and not at night time! In honor of going to The Buell Theatre at The Denver Center for Performing Arts to see “Little House on The Prairie” this past week, they each got new matching mint and pink knit dresses for the occasion. Four of us had a little girls night out of our own — my Aunt Honey, their grandma — the girls and me.

Little Sophie in second grade just completed reading the entire “Little House” series! When she began reading the series, she had no idea that just when she would complete reading it, it would be a play in town. How serendipitous!

“LITTLE House” is a childhood book series I am fond of from my own childhood. My sister Mimi and I wouldn’t miss watching the weekly series at our next door neighbors the Malul’s for the world! Going to the theater with Sophie and Esther and sharing the experience of “Little House” with the next generation, together, was wonderful. Of course, over the years, I have read or discussed these beloved “Little House” books with my sisters and my nieces and now “Little House” has become a family tradition.

Sophie and Esther were just so adorable. They truly acted like little ladies. Sophie brought her American Girl doll, Rebecca, so she could  see the play too.

Precious!

On the way to the theater, in the car, Sophie said that one of her happiest moments when reading these stories was when Laura Ingalls receives a beautiful fur coat of her own, rivaling that of the snooty girl Nellie Oleson, who always taunted Laura about not having much “because she deserved it and kind of showed it to mean Nellie, her enemy.”

Then, little Esther, the younger sister, piped in and said, “maybe people are mean to others because that way they can take the meanness out of them and give the meanness to someone else and so that way they are not mean anymore.”

THE play was lovely and sweet, more because of our love of the “Little House” story than for any great character development, nuanced performance or any eliciting of deep emotions.

Like the books, we got to see Americans pioneering life through the intimate eyes of a little girl and then budding young woman, Laura.

We saw the difficulties and spirit of that time come alive on stage. We saw some of the trials — taming of the wild land to grow wheat only then to be consumed by the prairie fire. We saw Mary go blind from Scarlet Fever, the struggle of building  in nowhere. And we saw some of the unexpected gifts and joys — Pa playing the fiddle and the family spending evenings reading together.

We saw the raw human communities develop in the open spaces of the prairies. Most of all, we saw the strength and satisfaction of happy family bonds.

And sisterhood.

We heard and saw the songs “Flying” between Laura and Almanzo, expressing their unfolding and  budding courtship; Laura’s poignant “I’ll Be your Eyes” to her now blind sister Mary, “Without an Enemy” from Nellie, how waking up in the morning without Laura to pester renders her life dull and incomplete. We saw Pa Ingalls, Charles, sing “Tin Cup” — as a father, questioning himself, his decision to move his family out to the dangerous prairie to settle the land.

Finally, at the end, we heard the chords of inspiration soar when Ma Ingalls, Caroline, sings “My Wild Child,” reflecting on sending little Laura off to teach so young, forcing her to tame her more wild and curious nature, forcing her to grow up all too quickly.

In a touching, shining moment  at the end, we saw Laura on the threshold of adulthood, surrounded by her parents and sisters, and then  joined by fellow settlers bearing gifts such as a bale of hay and even a horseshoe from Nellie, as she weds  Almanzo. They are poised to begin their own journey, in their own covered wagon.

We had the nostalgia of seeing Melissa Gilbert, who played Laura in the original series, now be part of “Little House” as Ma.

READING “Little House” from the perspective of a modern America today does make you question history and some of the notions at the time concerning the white settlers and the Indians. But for the play, never mind all that. It was just such a joy to watch this life affirming childhood storybook come to life by making memories together with my aunt and cousins.

The best part of the play? Leaning over to Sophie or Esther and whispering things like “now you need to imagine horses.” And the best part of the evening? The adorable running dialogue and conversation between the girls that I gave you a sample of above.

That is what I call a night out at the theater.