←Recommendations of Fable

I recently had the privilege of seeing freeFall Theatre’s stunning production of FABLE in St. Petersburg, FL. DeVita’s intimate familiarity with the long-standing sibling struggle of sisters June Havoc and “Gypsy Rose Lee” is plainly apparent in this mesmerizing homage. Seeing June at three key stages of her life: bright eyed child prodigy, shrewd negotiator and holdout, and then remorseful and bitter aging performer eclipsed by stolen stardom, is exploited beautifully in this charging drama.

It takes confidence to write dialogue for iconic figures from theatre history like Merman, Robbins, and Laurents; DeVita pulls it off with grace and an insider's savvy. The achievement here is that he corrects some of the musical's misrepresentations of Havoc's story while still celebrating its legendary power. All done with great ingenuity and economy; a cast of just seven manages to evoke the bustle and grandeur of 1959 Broadway.

A stunning and beautifully told homage to June and also to Gypsy, Rose, Ethel, and Arthur and Jerry, to Broadway, the old days, the bright lights and the dreams, Fable is also a wise-cracking, rib-splitting, tough-as-nails tour-de-force with great roles for women. I would love to see this staged. What is it about us humans that makes us want to be able to control our own narratives? Wonderful work that I highly recommend.

From a conversation with June Havoc, DeVita crafts this "fable" which even neophytes to the musical "Gypsy" will appreciate; instead of wanting to see "Fable" because they know "Gypsy", they will want to to see "Gypsy" because of DeVita's marvelously painful, witty and human creation. What a spectacle! DeVita's love of the theatre is palpable. Strong roles for women and much for an audience to reflect upon as they leave the theatre. What more can we ask of theatre? Bravo!

The play has real theatrical punch. We are led through the lives of familiar characters and wham - we see a new side of each of them. Fable moves fluidly and I was swept away with it. Incredible female roles with witty dialogue.

I’m in awe of this play. It’s brilliant from beginning to end. I’ve never read a play that I was more impressed with visually. The relationships are so palpable, so real, and the dialogue serves to hold their bonds with an authentic experience for the audience. The unique flow to the story keeps your attention from the first placard to the fading numbers. Astounding. Deserving of all the success for sure and deserving of more. I’m going to sit down and read it again. It’s that good.

Fable is a glorious excursion into a story and characters that we all (at least all theatergoers) think we know - but Doug DeVita shines a new light on an old masterpiece. With his trademark insight and humor, he transforms one "Theatrical Fable" into his own, and shows the rocky transition from a child star makes to become a heartbreaking adult.

Reading "Fable" was pure joy! It is a whirlwind theatrical experience. The complexity of the characters, although they are familiar and the stories about them are legend, "Fable" peels back layers and asks the serious question about who are legacy truly belongs to in the end. I would love to see this staged and witness all the moving pieces. What fantastic roles for women as well!

Fable held my interest from start to finish. The characters have depth and individuality, The play is filled with humor and pathos, but what I found the most extraordinary is how fully realized all the production elements were presented. I could easily see this marvelous play on stage. Well done! I would love to see this produced.

Is it better to be remembered, even if the memories aren’t true? Doug Devita has crafted a rollicking, theatrical speedboat of a ride through the mind and memories of the older June Havoc — one of three versions of June, who fights for a truthful portrayal of her younger self in the musical GYPSY — but we can’t be sure her memories are accurate, either. The dialogue is witty, laugh-out-loud funny and touching in just the right places. The characters (including the musical’s historical creators) are sharply drawn and hilariously ruthless; actors will have a blast speed-switching between them.