stage matters / By William Kowinski

Educating Badger

And why, of all animals, the badger? Is it accidental, so essentially his obsession could be any geeky frenzy? There’s a mother lode of connections between the badger as a digger and the scholar who digs for facts — Wisconsin is reputedly the Badger State not because of the animal, but because of its miners who dig like badgers — but while this possibility is mimed, it seems otherwise unmined. Digging into the unconscious is another theme that seemed partially realized.

There were hints of a mythic realm, of Native American stories in which animals and humans transform into each other, but this also came and went. Maybe the intent was to remain ambiguous in that ol’ postmodern portmanteau way. In any case, it’s got a lot of absorbing and entertaining moments. I guess we can identify with an awkward guy possessed of a helpless obsession and no self-awareness. But I left wanting more meat on this badger’s bones.

The Misunderstood Badger continues at the Arcata Playhouse this Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., and Sunday at 7.

Coming Up

There’s a new Great Recession pricing policy for all the Dell’Arte School shows in May: Pay what you will. You can still make reservations, then name your admission price when you arrive. That goes for the Clown show this weekend (Thursday through Saturday at 8 p.m. in the Carlo) and also the Thesis Festival and the Finals on the remaining May weekends.

The annual HSU Ten Minute Play Festival begins Thursday at 7:30 p.m. in the Gist Hall Theatre, playing this weekend and next, Thursdays through Saturdays.

Next weekend, Humboldt Light Opera and College of the Redwoods open a musical version of Little Women, beginning Friday, May 8, in the CR Forum Theatre at 7:30.

And speaking of Great Recession pricing, it’ll cost you just $3.89 to see Jeff DeMark perform Writing My Way Out of Adolescence for the first time in two years, at the Muddy’s Hot Cup in Arcata on Friday, May 8. It will also be DeMark’s 200th solo performance since his first show at the Mad River Festival in 1993.

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