Gaelynn Lea and Kevin Kling Photo by Bruce Silcox

Lea and Kling got together to develop Invisible Fences, which premiered at Open Eye Theatre in 2023, as a lighthearted entertainment that would delight audiences while also sending a message of inclusion. It features two endearing characters who each have limitations, but focus on what they can do, not on what they can't. Open Eye recently brought Invisible Fences back for a two week-long, mostly sold-out, run. There are rumblings of a tour in the offing.

The ninety-minute show, including an intermission, bears the subtitle "A Musical Fable in Two Acts," and its story is certainly the stuff of a fable. Starting out in an idyllic, lush clearing in the woods, Gaelynn Lea plays the part of a platypus who came into the world with horns, a snout and wings. The wings lend Largroff a magical appearance, and she finds herself repeatedly having to explain that they are strictly ornamental. Because she looks different than any other platypus, she chose to go by a different name, Largroff. Among other ways in which the Largroff differs from other platypuses, she rides on an electric chariot.

One other difference between Largroff and other platypuses is her gift of music, both singing and playing the violin. See greets the beauty and serenity of the setting with a beautiful song that expresses her gratitude, "Watch the World Unfold," accompanying herself on violin. For this and all other songs, she is also accompanied by Jeremy Ylvisaker on guitar and harmonies. In addition, Ylvisaker serves as Invisible Fences' narrator, sometimes providing voices for characters depicted in projections on stage.

Kling appears as a grasshopper, whom Largroff calls Hoppy. Hoppy is a vision of green, in short green pants, a green frock coat, a green derby hat, and a green ascot around his neck, along with green, black, and gold argyle socks. If he hadn't introduced himself as a grasshopper, I would have pegged him for a leprechaun. Hoppy was gleefully chewing on books in a library, digesting all kinds of knowledge, and was so distracted that he missed joining his swarm when they left for migration. His greatest regret is that he had so looked forward to joining the swarm in their chorus of swarming sounds, which is music to his antennae. Given that, as a grasshopper, he only has a few more weeks to live, he decides to venture off to New York City, where he is certain he will find a chorus he can join. Largroff fears for his safety travelling alone, so offers to join Hoppy on his journey to the distant city.

As you might guess, Largroff and Hoppy encounter a number of perils along the way. Most of them are triggered by the arrival of a Blue Jay who views the grasshopper as a tempting meal. Blue Jay appears as a projection in changing perspectives so that we first see the bird from a distance and then in close up, where its immense size makes the threat to Hoppy more than apparent. Quick-witted Largroff schemes to throw Blue Jay off course. Because Largroff speaks so many woodland languages, she serves as an interpreter between the bird and the grasshopper, taking liberties where she thinks it prudent: for example, when Blue Jay tells Largroff that she intends to take the grasshopper home to feed her children, Largroff translates to Hoppy as : "He likes you–he wants you to meet the family."

In one attempt to escape from the Blue Jay, Largroff and Hoppy dodge into a hole in the ground and fall into a creepy, foreboding space where they encounter the menacing Guardian of the Underworld (played by Paul Tressler, who is also the show's production assistant as well as Ms. Lea's husband). The Guardian challenges the intrepid duo to a duel, cleverly lit (by Ellie Simonett) to create a sense of the action. This calls on Hoppy to summon strength he didn't know he had. Later, when the Blue Jay manages to snatch Hoppy up in its talons, Largroff has the chance to find out if her wings really are only ornamental.

Throughout the show, Largroff reacts to circumstances by calling up a song befitting the moment, performed by Lea and Ylvisaker. Each song fits aptly into its spot in the play and gives the audience the joy of hearing music from her repertoire of original songs, eight in all, each one a jewel of enticingly gentle melody and poetic lyrics. The yearning "Someday We'll Linger in the Sun" is especially affecting. As Invisible Fences nears its end (spoiler alert), Hoppy makes it to the city and his dream of singing with a choir comes true. All of us are recruited by Largroff to stand in for the grasshopper swarm as the chorus on "Birdsong." It was the most uplifting bit of audience participation I have encountered in ages.

Lea is sublime when singing and playing violin and serves as a splendid straight woman to Kling's joke telling, though she manages to get in a few good jabs herself. Kling is a beguiling presence, maintaining the endearing guise of his grasshopper persona, expressing the character's longings as he drops jokes, some of them the type of groaners that are so bad, they're terrific.

Kathy Maxwell's projections provide rollicking backgrounds for the narrative, displaying digital artwork that is the delightful product of Tina Moore's and Joel Sass's imaginations. Claire Looker designed the adorable costumes, Dan Dukich the clear sound design, with additional sound design by Andy Slater, and Ellie Simonett's lighting design keeps the visual atmosphere on stage aligned with each step of the narrative.

Gaelynn Lea was born with osteogenesis imperfecta, a lifelong condition in which a child has extremely soft or brittle bones that easily break, and typically do not form normally. In 2016 she was the winner of National Public Radio's Tiny Desk contest, has recorded four solo albums and several collaborations, and composed music for the 2022 Broadway production of Macbeth. Kevin Kling has a congenital birth condition that caused one of his arms to be shriveled. About twenty years ago, a motorcycle accident left Kling's other arm paralyzed. This has not kept him from attaining great success as an award-winning author, playwright and storyteller. Invisible Fences shows off both artist's considerable talents, richly entertains, and demonstrates the importance and the joy of including everyone and their gifts at the table of humanity.

In the program notes, Kling writes "I would encourage the audience to let go of saving the world for a little while and allow this little fable to usher you on a journey of discovery and to experience the healing power of laughter, friendship, and recognition." That mission was certainly achieved at Invisible Fences.. If only we could bottle it and take a daily dose of the elixir.

Invisible Fences ran March 6 - 15, 2025, at Open Eye Theatre, 506 East 24th Street, Minneapolis MN. More information about Invisible Fences can be found at www.kevinkling.com/events/invisible-fences. For information about Open Eye Theatre, visit openeyetheatre.org.

Creators: Gaelynn Lea and Kevin Kling; Director: Timothy White; Costume Design: Claire Looker; Lighting Designer: Ellie Simonett; Sound Design: Dan Dukich; Additional Sound Design: Andy Slater ; Projection Design: Kathy Maxwell; Digital Artwork: Tina Moore & Joel Sass; Production Assistant: Paul Tressler; Stage Manager: Ches Cipriano.

Cast: Kevin Kling (Grasshopper), Gaelynn Lea (Largroff, violin), Paul Tressler (Guardian of the Underworld), Jeremy Ylvisaker (Narrator, guitar).