| . | 01/28/2008
SAVE THE WORLD
By: Eugene Paul
One of the major driving forces in entertainment today has its roots in a surprisingly distant past, when authors first illuminated their fictional horizons by saying to themselves, “What if…?” And the question gave rise to stories of different worlds, different pasts, different futures. In the 20th century, an explosion of ideas fed authors one after the other in science fiction, science fantasy, flooding down to every level, creating comic books, spawning super heroes, bizarre worlds, doubling back on its genesis to create giant industries feeding a public hungry to be taken out of their lives into the fantastic. Graphic novels multiplied and continue to multiply exponentially. Crude early movies have become vast technological marvels giving every appearance of reality to other worlds, other creatures, extraterrestrial actualities vividly alive to millions of viewers. The flood continues on television, on the internet, swelling into virtual realities. But never have these fantasies leapt to the stage except as objects of humor. Now comes Save The World and the stage is conquered, too. Zap! Zorch! Pow!
Director Michael Barakavia has taken a new play by Chris Kipiniak and “developed” it for the stage, deadpan. Dead serious. No humor. No attitude. No fooling around. Roach, Umbra, Quake, Legend, Prodigy, Stagger, Future Knight are superheroes, have super powers, are in crisis after crisis saving the world (presumably this world) from Andromedans.
Central control of the superheroes, fends off attacks, battles with superpowers and supertechnology. We recognize the language of a super-array of supersounds and superlights of superweapons, counter weaponry, counter-counter - and so on. All the superheroes are gorgeous as they are in comic books, fishnet stockings, high heeled boots, swirling capes, glittering armor, strange helmets, arch weaponry - and that is just the female contingent. The males are muscled, scarred, splendid in their strength. ( one slow motion tumble by Noshir Dalal as Legend is worth the price of admission.) However, the superheroes lose their tempers, rage at each other, suspect one another, betray one another, behave like teen agers. Or six year olds.
Backing all this are ingenious sets which make up in cleverness what they cannot afford otherwise, designed by Shoko Kambara. In spite of the money constraints, there are clever lightings by Nick Francone, suave comic book costuming by Oama Botez-Ban, ingenious music and sound by Shane Rettig. The cast: Craig Bridger, Charissa Chamorro, Christine Corpuz, Noshir Dalal, Kelly Hutchinson, Danielle Skraastad, Stephen Bel Davies are dauntless in their devotion to achieving verisimilitude. Every child in the audience hung on their every word and gesture. At last! Superheroes in the flesh! On the stage! Saving the world! It is one circle too full.
American Theater of Actors, 314 W. 54th St. Jan 17-Feb 9, Thu,Fri,Sat,8 pm. Sat mat 3 pm. Tickets $18. Underwritten by Roundtable Ensemble, a group of individual and corporate donors.
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