Hans The Obscure!

Three little-known tales by Hans Christian Andersen. Witty suitors! Undersea kingdoms! The love that dare not cluck its name! Delightful, devilish, decadent fun!

Lawrence Ripp has adapted three minor works by Hans Christian Andersen — “Clod Hans,” “It Is Perfectly True!” and “Little Clause & Big Claus.” The stories have the Andersen whimsy, caprice and dark humor, but in Ripp’s telling, they go flat. The tales play best in the mind, as narratives to be read, rather than dramatic vessels. John Gottskalkson serves as narrator, and when theater needs a narrator, you know the action is not going to be very lively. Ripp and Mahmoud Hakima put some energy into this, but you’re best-served checking out the book.