'Panto' trying to get a foothold in local theater

For hundreds of years, children in England have gotten their first exposure to theater during the holidays at something called a "panto". It's a vaudevillian form of theater that is almost completely unknown in America.

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Whatever the story – in this case it's Snow White – a panto always features audiences yelling at the stage, a man in a dress, flying candy, and what People's Light and Theater assistant Director Samantha Bellomo calls "the messy bit."

Bellomo: Snow White is the messiest messy bit we've ever had. In past we've had a bedroom destroyed, makeup fights, a huge flower fight.

University of Pennsylvania professor of theater Cary Mazer says "pantos" have not caught on here because many Americans don't see it as "Christmasy."

Mazer: That type of involvement is alien to what a middlebrow, culturally aspirant parent would want when introducing kids to the performing arts – we're not used to chaos – it represents everything we're trying to keep our kids from doing in the theater. That's where the fun is.

This is the 6th year People's Light and Theater has staged a panto. Samantha Bellomo says it has been a training period for both actors and audiences.