Starstuff: Per Aspera Ad Astra
Starstuff: Per Aspera Ad Astra is a beautifully crafted piece of performance. True to its name, the performance is about the hardships and difficulties of trying to reach the stars.
On the surface, Thomas Malinsky is an astronaut on a journey to locate a sudden transmission from beyond Jupiter. He travels alone, past the stratosphere and into the unknown territories, traversing the deep resonating expanse of space. On the side are the interesting and amusing personalities of Thomas’ parents, Mama and Papa, and the man in the control room on Earth.
The performance incorporates multiple set pieces and utilizes simple technologies, such as projections and small speakers, to add texture to the scenes. The overall audiovisual presentation plays a large part in the immersive nature of Malinsky’s journey.
The set pieces are manipulated in a way that invites the illusion of what is actually there. In one scene, pieces of the spaceship are taken apart. The performers move slowly but fluidly, creating the effect of anti-gravity and the intensity of watching an inevitable situation unfold. In another scene, a table is created simply by the performers holding the “tabletop” a certain way.
The magic is in knowing how some things work and telling them from a different perspective. It is in creating something knowing that it is not real but still inviting the audience to participate in the illusion.
Derek Chao, the director and playwright of Starstuff, has a wonderful way with words and creating multiple layers within the text. The pacing and dynamics within the performance work well with the overall construction of the story.
A heartwarming and an intriguing experience to explore, Starstuff draw parallels from seemingly unrelated events. It peers into the cruel and lonesome venture of space exploration while probing the equally heavy burden of childbirth.
For more information, visit riceandbeanstheatre.com.
The OC: The Musical
California. . . here we coooooome. Hearing that opening song to The O.C. will forever bring back memories of Ryan, Seth, Marissa, and Summer as they struggled to find their way. This hilarious spoof of the popular show was well cast and squeezed the show’s plot and as many jokes as possible into an hour and a half.
Bad boy Ryan Atwood comes to town after his lawyer, Sandy Cohen (Brandon Miller), takes him in. Sandy’s wild stick-on eyebrows start the show as exaggerated and expressive and end in preposterous positions. The first time we see Seth Cohen (Mark Dozlaw), he’s playing Tomb Raider in footed pajamas and is immediately excited that he has a new brother. Marissa Cooper (Grace Newson) and Summer Roberts (Laura Geluch) are also exaggerated, and Summer’s song “Rage Blackout” makes fun of her short fuse. And of course the show wouldn’t be complete if they didn’t parody the scene where Marissa shoots Trey.
All of the songs, including the crowd pleasers “Welcome to the O.C., Bitch” and “The Summer of Summer” are well written and poke endless fun at these characters and their ridiculous situations. Ryan is constantly correcting people about his age, telling them he’s actually 16 when they ask if he’s 26. Marissa’s mom is played by Stewart Yu in drag, and it suits her character wonderfully.
It’s clear that the live band, ensemble, and entire cast and creative team poured their hearts into this production, and I thank them for bringing me back to The O.C.
