WOOD YOU BELIEVE IT?
CV REP’S PINOCCHIO CARVES OUT A WINNER

The Conservatory program at Coachella Valley Repertory opens its arms wide to the next generation of theatre lovers with Pinocchio, Greg Banks’s zippy retelling of the wooden boy who just wants to be real. Director Howard Shangraw packs Banks’s fast-paced adaptation with physical comedy, clear storytelling, and a beating heart that never talks down to its young audience.

Joshua Rach, Joey Kolody, Chuck Yates, Haley Kooyman, Douglas Scott Sorenson

The story unfolds as a play-within-a-play, with the actors inventing the world of Pinocchio in front of us — a clever conceit that mirrors the puppet’s own discovery of imagination. It’s the kind of low-tech theatrical magic kids instantly get: a broom becomes a mast, a chair becomes a stagecoach, and belief does the rest.

At the center is Joseph Kolody, whose restless energy gives Pinocchio both spark and soul. He’s gawky, funny, and heartbreakingly earnest — his curiosity lighting up every scene. Chuck Yates swings between Geppetto’s warmth and the Cat’s conniving grin with practiced ease, his transformations as quick as a magician’s sleight of hand.

The Naughty Boys

Haley Kooyman floats through her multiple roles — Fairy, Cricket, Judy, Innkeeper — with a sure sense of rhythm and wit. Her Fairy radiates kindness without syrup, her Cricket nails the punchlines that keep the story buoyant. Joshua Rach’s Lampwick is a lively spark plug, full of swagger and mischief, and when he returns as the Policeman and Showman, he morphs so completely it’s a small marvel.

Then there’s Douglas Scott Sorenson, who nearly steals the show cycling through Punch, the Fox, the Coachman, and the Old Man. His sly Fox, equal parts charm and threat, gives the fable its teeth.

Pinocchio heads to Playland

What holds it all together is Shangraw’s unpretentious direction. He builds a sense of play that never feels chaotic — the scenes tumble forward like dominoes, precise but effortless. His gift with young audiences shows: brisk enough to keep kids engaged, detailed enough to reward adults.

Jimmy Cuomo’s set design for Pinocchio is both imaginative and functional, matching that same ingenuity. Seamlessly transitioning between key locations like Pinocchio’s home, the puppet theater, and Playland, Cuomo maintains a sense of whimsy and wonder. His shifting set — part workshop, part playground — morphs with the actors’ momentum, turning each scene change into its own piece of storytelling.

Chuck Yates, Joey Kolody, Douglas Scott Sorenson

This Pinocchio doesn’t rely on spectacle; it trusts imagination. And in doing so, it honors the story’s real theme: learning to be honest, brave, and kind, even when it’s hard. CVRep’s Conservatory has carved something genuine here — an hour of theatre that glows with the spirit of make-believe, brought to life by artists who still remember how to play. And the “Pay What You Want” format also ensures accessibility for families, while directly supporting the future of Theatre for Young Audiences (TYA).

Douglas Scott Sorenson, Joshua Rach, Joey Kolody, Chuck Yates, Haley Kooyman

✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦

photos by Collin Finn

Pinocchio
a Theatre for Young Audiences Production
The Conservatory at Coachella Valley Repertory
68510 East Palm Canyon Dr. in Cathedral City
1 hour, no intermission
ends November 15, 2025
for tickets (“Pay What You Want” – suggested $5-$10), visit CV Rep

✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦