'Through the Onion Patch' is an Understatement

The first act of Through the Onion Patch II (When People Learn to Drive) took place in a car, on a pirate ship in The Skeleton Sea, in a zoo run by animals that exhibited humans, on the Forbidden Island of Tobacco, in a Liar's Den and at an evil rapper's recording studio. 

To us adults that may seem impossible, but if you saw the play last year it just might make sense. 

This year's play was a sequel of last year's Through the Onion Patch, a story of time travel and suspense where Lila and her brother, Sam ... oops sorry, Gooner, are chased by an evil vampire and find their way home through the Onion Patch. 

Their method of travel was through a one-of-a-kind painting made by Leona DaVinci. This year the children took that inspiration and ran with it. 

Now Lila and Gooner are five years older and Lila is learning to drive. Her skill is so bad that they are pulled over by a cop who suspects that the father, who heroically jumped into the driver's seat, was driving drunk. 

As the father begins to protest, he looks into the back seat where he saw his kids a few moments before. They have disappeared into a Pirate DS Game that Gooner was playing. 

Here the children enter into a crazy adventure where they travel from land to land through magical books. Along the way they find both friends and enemies, old and new. 

The cast once again infused the script with humor and adventure. After the cast proves their excellence at aluminum foil sword fighting, the two children are dropped into the middle of the sea where a shark named Bob gives them a book called The Human Zoo.  

Gooner opens it and away they go. The next land holds a group of animals with a great sense of humor who run a Human Zoo. Their feature exhibit is Justin Bieber, whose singing is so bad he has to be kept in a soundproof cage. 

Spotting the two children, Sarah Spot, a heroic leopard, tried to pass them off as animals. Quickly called out, the animals send Sarah to the Liar's Den for her betrayal. 

Thankful for Sarah's loyalty, Lila and Gooner resolvle to save Sarah Spot and travel to this dangerous den. 

We then meet Evil Rapper "X" whose DJ explains how she breakdances. She breaks. And she dances. Rapper "X" is all about the gold and is looking for slaves to clean his Golden Recording Studio.

Then we revisit our old friends at the Onion Patch who thoughtfully inform us that ketchup is not a vegetable, but a fruit because tomatoes are technically fruits. We also learn that Rapper "X" is looking for a golden egg. 

Oh, and by the way, if you eat 41 and a half golden onions it will make you very sick. 

We are then whisked away onto the set of the Get Golden game show, where the contestants ride a golden goose, drink a golden milkshake and carry a golden egg to win golden prizes. 

Rapper "X" loses every challenge and is very upset. He captures Sarah Spot for his cleaning crew. 

To save their friend, Lila and Gooner are led to Freddie, a comically crazy spaceship pilot who takes them to the hideout of Rapper "X." The two heroes dress as guards and forcefully bring Sarah Spot to freedom. 

With everything back in order in the fantastical world of the Onion Patch, Lila and Gooner now face the problem of getting home. No worry, however, there just happened to be one more magical book under the newborn baby, Mohini. 

After transporting through this last book the two kids find themselves right back where this adventure began. They vouched for their father, who was promptly taken out of handcuffs. 

Whew!

This complex, funny and adorable-as-pie production was interesting till the last cover had closed. The set, having survived some rainy bumps in the road, looked great. Congrats to the stage managers, artists, carpenters, lighting assistants and last but not least the live band "Shark Bait" for creating a great atmosphere for this story to unfold. 

This production was viewed May 20 through May 22 in Oscar Richie Hall on the campus of Kent State University.