by Beulah F. Vega

The Gift of Nothing, now running at Marin Theater through Tuesday, Dec. 23, begins on a special day when the residents of the Mutts world celebrate by giving gifts to their friends and families. But Mooch the cat (Jordan Covington) has a problem: what to get the dog that has everything? Thus begins a quest to find the ideal gift for Earl the dog (Amanda Le Nguyen). Based on the book by the same name by Patrick McDonnell, adapted by McDonnell, Aaron Posner, and Erin Weaver, with music and lyrics by Andy Mitton, this is a feel-good, adorable holiday treat for all the littles in your life.

It helps to be familiar with McDonnell’s work and its cartoon characters: BFF’s Mooch and Earl, optimistic dog-lover Ozzie (Joseph O’Malley), dramatic cat-lover Millie (Charisse Loriaux), loudly bored tween Doozy (Alicia M.P. Nelson), and Millie’s allergic husband Frank (Matthias Bossi). 

Covington and Le Nguyen are energetically charismatic. Their choreography (Erika Chong Shuch) is much more complex than you would usually encounter in a children’s show, but both performers handle it with ease and enthusiasm. Both are good actors, but together they seem fearless. 

While Mooch and Earl are written with the sort of layered simplicity (yes, it’s an oxymoron) that runs through the Mutts comics, the other three characters are less nuanced to the point that they are rarely more than just a single defining character trait. The script also has some dated references to social media, which had the teens beside me rolling their eyes and muttering 6-7 (yes, out loud). 

Whatever color the script lacks is made up for by fun, detailed costuming by Becky Bodurtha and a set by Liam Rudisill that literally looks like a comic strip sprang to life (including a Barbie-pink functional drum set!) However, there were some oddities with Allen Willner’s lights. Often, when downstage on the steps or when actors were in specials, deep shadows fell across their faces, as if we were suddenly transported into a gritty noir film instead of a fun, bright holiday show. 

All that being said, musical director and pianist Daniel Feyer does a great job keeping up with the high-energy show (especially considering his drummer, Bossi, kept having to leave the drums to act). Overall, director Shuch has put together a fun, high-energy, feel-good show that even managed to make some of the teens smile.

‘The Gift of Nothing’ runs through December 23 at Marin Theatre, 397 Miller Ave, Mill Valley. Sat, 6pm; Sun, 1pm & 4pm; Mon, 4pm, Tues, 6pm. $25-$44. 415.388.5208.  marintheatre.org

Photos by David Allen