photos: Dixie Sheridan (click to enlarge)



7 in 1 Blow was presented December 5-21

For the second consecutive season (see the 2002 production review ), Axis Company, the acclaimed Off-Broadway theater group, will present its winter show for children, Seven In One Blow, or The Brave Little Kid, beginning December 5th. Adapted from the classic fairy tale by The Brothers Grimm, this interactive play with music is conceived by the Axis Company and directed by Randy Sharp featuring Axis' signature blend of advanced technology and live performance. Children in the audience will be encouraged to participate in many of the Kid's challenges with singing and organized "shout outs." Appropriate for ages 4 and up.

In Seven In One Blow, or The Brave Little Kid, a child living in the city kills seven flies with a single swat and makes a belt emblazoned with "SEVEN IN ONE BLOW" to commemorate the event. As he is traveling about, most people think his belt refers to seven people and assign the Kid all kinds of difficult tasks based on this faulty presumption. Along the way a few interesting things are learned: an Ogre finds that you don't always have to show how strong you are... sometimes it's okay just to be quiet about it; a girl realizes that when you tease people you are hurting someone who may be just like you; and a scary monster understands that because she is loved, she may not be so scary after all. In the end, the Kid ultimately discovers that a parents' love and care has no bounds.

The cast of Seven In One Blow, or The Brave Little Kid features Wren Arthur, Brian Barnhart, David Crabb, George Demas, Laurie Kilmartin, Sue Ann Molinell, John Murphy, Edgar Oliver, Abigail Savage, and Jim Sterling – with a special on-film appearance by Deborah Harry. The production features sets and costumes by Kate Aronsson, lighting by David Zeffrin, sound by Steve Fontaine, and original songs by Randy Sharp.