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Review: 'Entertainment Zero Machine: A Cyber Peep-Show'
Poetic words and images warn about rampant consumerism

Attending a Ron Allen play is always a senses-shattering experience.
Reviewing a Ron Allen play – and doing it justice – is nearly impossible.
Allen's latest endeavor is "Entertainment Zero Machine: A Cyber Peep-Show," now playing at Detroit's Hastings Street Ballroom. And like all of Allen's works, I walked out of last Friday night's performance in awe of the man's talents – yet totally boggled by the images and messages that came shooting off the stage in rapid-fire succession.
Such is the nature of a Ron Allen play – it's virtually impossible to sit through a performance and thoroughly digest what you've just observed.
A Ron Allen play takes time to absorb.
That point was made abundantly clear during a talk-back session that followed the opening night performance. A woman bravely asked a question that was surely on the minds of all who were in attendance: "How many times does someone need to see it before you understand it?"
"Three" was ultimately the agreed-upon number – at full ticket price, of course. And to the audience's relief, even the show's performers and director admitted it took them time to comprehend Allen's work, as well.
That's part of the challenge Allen issues his audience. And that's why attending a Ron Allen play is so invigorating!
Allen, a lifelong resident of Detroit, is a poet whose scripts are filled not with dialogue, but with carefully and colorfully constructed verses. There are rhythms to the lyrical words he strings together, and the images they create are powerful. It's the marriage of the audial to the visual; he assaults the senses, but in unexpected and original ways.
And always with a message!
"Entertainment Zero Machine: A Cyber Peep-Show" is Allen's exploration of a world that bows down to the god called consumerism. It's a world that wants bigger and better, more and faster, convenience and pleasure. Independent thought, however is discouraged; "group think" rules THIS world!
At the heart of the story is a revolutionary product called Magnum Pussy 25, a miraculous gel that can do anything from shine your floors to keep you regular. TV commercials extol its virtues with happy, smiling families, but is MP 25 really the life-positive product it's cracked up to be? Or was there a more sinister or subversive purpose behind its creation?
Of course there was – thanks to the white patriarchal establishment that created "The Machine." But The Machine is king, and entertainment is his medium. At least, that is, until the No Mind Guerillas snatch from his grasp those who wish to escape his cage of consumerism!
To translate Allen's free-flowing words and concepts into a cohesive and comprehensible visual requires a creative and perceptive director. That task fell to John Jakary, someone who has worked on numerous Allen productions over the years at ZeitGeist Theater. The two seem perfectly in-tune with each other, as Jakary's staging vividly brings Allen's characters and ideas to life.
Likewise, notable performances are given by the 13-member Thick Knot Rhythm Ensemble – a diverse group of actors of different backgrounds, ages, shapes and genders.
This is an organic piece of work, with some actors playing multiple parts. Especially beautiful are the "naked ballets" choreographed by Roberto Warren. Stripped to their essence, they are a sight to behold!
"Entertainer Zero Machine: A Cyber Peep Show" Presented Friday through Sunday at Hastings Street Ballroom, 715 E. Milwaukee, Detroit, through Oct. 24. Tickets: $20. 313-832-0954. Contains adult themes and nudity.
The Bottom Line: It's a beautiful marriage of words and images – but don't be surprised if you walk out clueless as to its meaning; understanding comes later.

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