Based on the classic Lewis Carroll poem, The Hunting Of The Snark, is a family friendly show inviting its guests to come aboard for a tall tale of mischief and mayhem, of high sea hijinks and impossible voyages, of an improbable crew and an extraordinary task, of an inconceivable creature in a peculiar land, and of the unquenchable thirst for adventure. A design and ensemble-based piece mixing theatrical influences from Chicago and around the world; Strawdog stretches, flexes, trips over a ladder and treats the audience to a hilarious and touching take on one of the world's best loved poems.

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“HIGHLY RECOMMENDED... Strawdog’s The Hunting of the Snark is a jaw-droppingly creative piece of stagecraft, that most magical kind of theater that envelops us in artifice through a stupefyingly adept use of simple props, physicalization, and pure energy. Each character is unique and superbly played, but it is as an ensemble that this group has you in its hands. From the gleefully raucous opening and breathtaking pantomime of a sea journey to a conjuring of hills, this group is so tight under Aileen McGroddy’s movement design that you wonder whether the casting notice stipulated telepaths only… Watching the characters swarm, march, explore, scale hills, face Jub-Jub Birds and fight a gloriously conjured Bandersnatch is like watching a drama school for gifted kids at recess… its mesmerizing, non-stop adrenaline rush will leave you well satisfied. Be there, or be a boojum.”

     -Chicago Theater Beat

 

“HIGHLY RECOMMENDED... Faithfully following Carroll’s original verse, the thirteen-strong cast bound chaotically around the stage, breathing new life into the narrative… [The ensemble’s] childlike antics and games set the tone for the rest of Josh Sobel’s production: a playful, energetic and imaginative experience that fully embraces the quirks of Carroll’s poem and, if anything, takes them further…. The settings are deftly conjured out of simple props – a length of rope, old suitcases and handheld lanterns become the ship, the island, the fearsome bandersnatch and everything else in between. There’s the sense that nothing is fixed and anything is possible. To further this, the cast glide, stumble and fall all over the space with effortless, wonderful physicality. The eight ‘fits’ of the poem, from dreamscapes to expeditions, are created quite effortlessly… the resounding impression given by The Hunting of the Snark is one of childlike joy and playfulness. It’s a production that glows with the power of the imagination and the magic of buoyant youth.”

     -Broadway Baby (Edinburgh, Scotland; review of Fringe transfer)

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"RECOMMENDED... It’s all just fun and games and Strawdog wants everybody to catch their glee. Suddenly, a cast member begins an impromptu acoustic rendition of “Come Sail Away.”  One by one, each of the others grab a suitcase and join in.  The robust harmonies fill the room with a unified, lively spirit.  It’s time to go on an adventure… Lewis Carroll’s nonsensical poem sets this show a sail. Under the direction of Josh Sobel and the movement direction of Aileen McGroddy, Carroll’s silly rhymes become vivid visuals by the talented dozen… With only ropes and lights, the crew move in impressive synchronization to replicate the tossing and turning of waves… This show skillfully actualizes the preposterous nature of Carroll’s poem. It’s color-out-of-the-lines classic literature.”

      -Let's Play at Chicago Now (formerly The Fourth Walsh)