Weird “Science?”
Weird Romance
A Theater Review
Love can sometimes turn divisive, but a current Erie play is divisional.
But it™s a good thing.
It™s evident in the Performing Artists Collective Alliance™s current production, Weird Romance. A two-tale, one-cast musical comedy, it demonstrates that love can be found in the most unusual of circumstances.
With music by Alan Menken, lyrics by David Spencer and the book by Alan Brennert, Science is directed by Bob Martin, and transports the audience to two future sci-fi scenarios: in Act One, the world bans advertising and needs willing spokespeople to hawk product; Act Two portrays that while life may not be eternal, love certainly is.
The Girl Who Was Plugged In tells of a homeless woman, P. Burke, (Teal Weatherley) who™s scooped up by GTX, a shady company that serves advertisers, who literally need bodies to sell their good and services. Isham (Brendan Daugherty), is the uncaring, unscrupulous head scientist who only wants results and to keep his clients happy”no matter what. His team, Hopkins (Adam Owens) and his son, Paul (Patrick Vahey, Jr.) have concern for their subjects, especially when one falls in love with their product creations, Delphi (Jessie Thorpe).
Her Pilgrim Soul concerns a scientist, Kevin Drayton,(Daugherty) who™s researching holographic imagery, when one day a suspended fetus appears in the lab. It grows quickly into a child, then a woman, named Nola (Weatherley). Drayton comes to understand this holograph with intelligence was actually a human being. While his assistant, Daniel (Jesse Cammarata), attempts to track down this woman™s life story, Kevin eventually understands a deep connection between himself and the holograph.
Daugherty and Weatherley co-helm Weird Romance well with their lead roles in both plays. Daugherty™s Janus-faced performances demonstrates his ability to play a self-assured villain as well as a confused, tired individual. Weatherley™s dual portrayals of a shy, confused pawn in Plugged and her little- girl/woman-lost role in Pilgrim should always find the audience rooting for her. The remaining cast: Camellia Tartara, Molly Parks and Jordan Gilmore go happily over-the-top as Delphi™s voice, make-up and movement coaches, respectively.
Live music was provided by Andrew Rainbow on piano and Bob Martin on bass. Memorable songs in Plugged include P. Burke™s stirring Stop and See Me and the humorous Pop! Flash! with P. Burke/Delphi, her groomers and fans. Notable Pilgrim tunes were Someone Else is Waiting, a tender duet between Nola and Kevin, and I Can Show You a Thing or Two, sung by smarmy holograph, Johnny Beaumont, (Vahey Jr.) who had the audience that I attended with, squealing with delight.
An early, offbeat valentine for Erie audiences, Weird Romance offers a funny, dysfunctional (if not dystopian), Brave New World that delivers a bouquet of snappy music & smiles.
***GG
Weird Romance continues at PACA through February 11. For tickets or more information, visit paca1505.org.
END
