'Watership Down' by Simpatico and Drexel

It out-star warred Star Wars. With rabbits.

I hadn't thought about the book since, until Simpatico Theatre Project teamed with Drexel University's Mandell Professionals in Residence Project (MPiRP) to produce John Hildreth's faithful, fluid stage adaptation.

Director Allen Radway's production succeeds with the material's biggest challenge: human actors playing rabbits without seeming like Easter bunnies. The cast of professionals and students — with subtle movement choreographed by Colleen Hughes and Jillian Rose Keys’ understated Lapine costumes — capture a rabbitness that feels organic and noble, not cute or contrived.

More than rabbitness

Beyond that, the cast tells a rousing story that, though appropriate for children, deals frankly with death. The Black Rabbit, a looming shadow puppet (by Aaron Cromie and Lorna Howley), collects each rabbit taken by a predator or killed in combat. Rabbit myths narrated and portrayed by the ensemble provide background about rabbit beliefs in trickster El-ahrairah and their sun god Frith (read the program’s Lapine glossary before the show).

Alex McCormick plays Hazel, who leads a small group from a warren doomed by development — “It’s always a man thing,” they realize ruefully — to find a new home. They travel a dangerous, almost post-apocalyptic world, encountering a mysterious cult headed by Cowslip (Edward Snyder) before finding a suitable place to settle. However, their encounter with General Woundwort (David Blatt) and his militaristic warren leads to a fight for survival. Fans of The Walking Dead will recognize the plucky team’s grimly earnest commitment to each other.

Beauty and brutality balanced

Of course, this perilous journey occurs in the lovely English countryside, revealed in large projected watercolor illustrations by Robert Berry and Patrick Gabrielli that provide a classic children’s-book quality. They also reveal the prophetic nightmares of Fiver (Cortnée Nicole Love) and scary nighttime scenes.

Most of the 16 actors play multiple roles, and the story emerges clearly. Standouts include Snyder as a humorous helpful bird, Sam Sherburne as Hazel’s general Bigwig, Joy Weir as resourceful Blackberry, and Sophie Hirsh in a variety of roles. Several actors double as musicians, including Dean Bloomingdale (piano), Thomas Benjamin (violin), Mari Ma (cello), and Brendan McHale (bass, live music coordinator) underscoring scenes movingly through Josh Totora’s delicate compositions.

Watership Down revived my old memory of a captivating novel, but I think I would have been just as moved if this was my first experience of the story. Put aside any preconceptions about fluffy bunnies and hop over to Drexel for this polished, profound, passionate production.