Review: I'm Proud of You by Penfold Theatre Company
by Vanessa Hoang Hughes

You’ve probably found yourself enveloped in the wondrous world of Fred Rogers. Whether you watched his original show or the  animated spin-off Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, you remember the kindness, wisdom, and love Rogers shared with his audience. As a proud Daniel Tiger kid, I can testify to the effect Mr. Rogers had on my childhood and how his themes of friendship and important feelings shined in my five-year-old eyes. 

 

I’m Proud of You by Tim Madigan and Harry Parker tells Tim's story, and especially his friendship with the children’s television star Fred Rogers. News reporter Tim Madigan interviewed Rogers and a friendship developed over the course of eight short years before Mister Rogers’ unexpected passing.

 

The story has  beautiful moments of vulnerability as the audience is introduced to Tim’s rough childhood. We see him repair broken relationships with his family and we understand the effects generational trauma has had on his life. Despite these touching scenes, the play didn’t go as deep as it could have. A compelling scene introduces Tim’s struggle with his mental health, but those afflictions are cured almost immediately. The audience doesn't see the ebbs and flows of his progress, and the diluted version of the struggle is unsatisfying. Any conflict is quickly resolved. That may have worked well for a newspaper article or book, it falls short for a theatrical production.

 

Nathan Jerkins was an earnest and fun Tim Madigan. He started with high energy and maintained it without fail throughout the whole ninety minutes. As main character and narrator, he expertly shepherded the audience through the story. Jerkins brought  touches of great depth and vulnerability when needed, then picked up the energy after slower scenes.

 

 

Talented actors Zac Carr and Jill Klopp Turner appeared in many of his scenes. Carr brought humor, strength, and sadness to the stage in a variety of roles, from sick 10-year-old to stressed TV show manager to tough dad with a complicated past. Turner played every female role. Many were written with similar personalities, serving only as either mother or wife, but Turner differentiated them with her variety and depth of characterization.

 

A key theme in the show is Fred Rogers’ humanity. The play portrays him not as a perfect human being but just as Fred, an ordinary guy with wisdom to share.  This is the message of the script, which rarely shows us any flaws or struggles in Fred Rogers. He's presented as a celestial, all-knowing being throughout the performance—though one who occasionally drops a curse word to prove he really is one of us. The script could have made Rogers more complex.

 

In that role Rick Roemer gave a highly enjoyable interpretation. He didn't merely mimic Rogers; instead, he portrayed the man in his own way while still holding on to the core features of Mister Rogers. Roemer delivered his performance with clarity, confidence, and grace, just as Rogers would have. When replicating the moment when Fred Rogers accepted his Emmy award, Roemer's sincerity as he asked the audience to take ten seconds of silence was genuinely impressive.

 

 

I'm Proud of You, directed by Steven Pounders, is the first production of Penfold Theater’s first season in its new theater venue in Round Rock. Desi Roybal’s set had some great touches of thoughtful detail, including adorable children's paintings on the wall,  though the palette seemed a bit muted and dark for a show about Mister Rogers. Jacqueline Sindelar’s light design and Brett Weaver’s sound design backed up the story, but again, some more color would have been appreciated, especially since the set changes were mostly implied, using a standup window pane here and there. More marked shifts in lighting could have helped build those different places.

 

This production had many opportunities for really heartfelt, tear-inducing incidents. The script opts instead for the easier way out by showing its characters as saint-like figures without flaws and with glossed-over struggles. Even so, the performances were excellent.

 

If you’re looking for a sweet, low-stakes show with some lovely actors, then please sit back and enjoy the story of Mister Rogers.

 

 

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I'm Proud of You
by Tim Madigan, Harry Parker
Penfold Theatre Company

October 4-26, 2024 on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm and Sundays at 2:00 pm. Performances will be at Penfold Theatre's new performance venue at Rock Creek Plaza 2120 N Mays St #290, Round Rock, 78664.