A boy in search of a father. A man who wants nothing more than to be left alone with his crossword puzzles. A year of unexpected changes in both their lives. This is Daniel Keene’s Pascal and Julien, the magical U.S. Premiere from the 24th Street Theatre.

Not that Julien (Darby Winn) doesn’t already have an actual dad, but given how little they have in common, the 12-year-old Parisian has set about finding un papa more to his liking, and the candidate he has finally picked after observing assorted possible dads at and around the local café is bookish, 40ish Pascal (Paul Turbiak).

Pascal, on the other hand, is none too happy to have his crossword puzzle solving interrupted by the decidedly unshy youth, nor does he welcome Julien’s help in solving said puzzle.

But try telling that to a lad as persistent as Julien, and so it doesn’t take long for the precocious preteen to launch into getting-to-know-you chitchat.

It also doesn’t take long for young Julien to reveal his reason for starting up a conversation with Pascal, to wit, “I think that a person should be able to choose their father,” and when Pascal replies that this is not something a person can “choose,” Julien responds quickly and unequivocally, “It should be.”

From April of one year to the April of the next, Australian playwright Keene has us following his two mismatched/perfectly matched protagonists as they explore various Parisian locales, among them an open-air market, a church, a riverbank, a park, a school, a cinema, and a department store as their lives are changed for good.

To their great credit, playwright Keene, director Debbie Devine, and two remarkable actors avoid the potential pitfalls of a story that in less capable, sensitive, perceptive hands might raise a red flag or two.

Instead, there’s nothing but genuine sweetness (and some bittersweetness) to draw audiences of all ages into this most touching of tales, one whose brisk 45-minute running time makes it appropriate for children 5-or-6 and up, though adults should feel free to attend simply for the joy of discovering a play as special as this one.

Turbiak, a favorite from his work at Actors Co-op and other L.A. theaters, perfectly captures Pascal’s standoffishness and the potential for human connection that lies beneath, and Winn could not make for a more winning Julien, giving the role the same precocity and charm he brought to Timothy in Theatre West’s Moose On The Loose.

Video designer Matthew Hill’s animated “chalk-drawn” projections (featuring Spanish supertitles) on Keith Mitchell’s charming Parisian set, gorgeously lit by Dan Weingarten, John Nobori’s expert sound design, Bradley Brough’s très Parisian original music, and just-right costumes by Shannon A. Kennedy add up to the most exquisite of production designs.

Pascal and Julien is produced by Jay McAdams, Jennie McInnis, and Abel Alvarado. Jesus Castaños Chima is assistant director. Casting is by Michael Donovan, CSA and Richie Ferris, CSA. Jude Schwartz alternates with Winn as Julien. Nick Foran is technical director. Lucy Pollak is publicist.

For over twenty years, 24th Street Theatre has been serving the needs of the inner-city community in and around L.A.’s historic West Adams neighborhood by presenting the finest in live family entertainment.

As delightful as it is touching, and as superbly designed and directed as it is performed, Pascal and Julien is guaranteed to have you at bonjour.

RETURN VISIT UPDATE (October 12, 2024) A return visit to the 24th Street Theatre proved that no matter which Julien audiences see, Daniel Keene’s Pascal And Julien is as charming and moving a grown-up play for children (or children’s play for grown-ups) as a play can be.

Captivating child actor Jude Schwartz had me rooting for Julien from his hello to Paul Turbiak’s prickly Pascal, making the role very much his own as Julien every so slowly breaks down Pascal’s defenses in a series of scenes each more touching and delightful than the one before.

Like the wonderful Darby Winn (with whom Schwartz alternates as Julien), Schwartz has terrific chemistry with Turbiak and a bright acting future ahead of him.

No matter which Julien you see, I guarantee you’ll be rooting for Pascal And Julien to remain, if not precisely father and son, friends for life.

24th Street Theatre, 1117 West 24th Street, Los Angeles.
www.24thstreet.org

–Steven Stanley
September 21, 2024
Photos: Cooper Bates, Jennie McInnes, Jay McAdams

Tags: 24th STreet Theatre, Daniel Keene, Los Angeles Theater Review