THE PATH

A dozen-odd humans and dogs are visiting a park alone or in small groups when a natural phenomenon brings everyone together.

Two kids are excited about taking a walk on a park’s “perfect path” when…“Whoa!—watch out for that bike!” The bicyclist is, in turn, annoyed by another park visitor: “If only—gah!—skaters didn’t have to go so ziggety-zaggety.” On it goes, with visitors airing their frustrations about interruptions by others on the same path. Suddenly, they all pause to look at a curiosity above them: “What is that?” “It looks like a black cloud.” “But a beautiful black cloud.” A bird-watcher informs everyone that “it’s called a murmuration. The birds fly together so they can take care of one another.” The comment sparks understanding (“You know—those birds have the right idea”), setting off a chain reaction of kindness. “Nice pedaling there, kid! You’re getting it!” says a runner zooming past a novice young bicyclist, and so on. Paul’s strikingly clever story is told entirely in thought and dialogue bubbles that are gracefully integrated into Leng's panels; her loose-handed vignettes are power-packed with light and feeling, featuring a multiracial, multigenerational ensemble. The whole production calls to mind a graphic novel in which myopic individualism is the foe and Mother Nature the superhero.

A remarkably original look at the awesome power of community.