By D. A. Blackburn
The time has come to let loose your inner-nerd, dig out your lightsaber, dust off your Darth Vader mask and head to the theater — Hamtramck's Planet Ant Theatre, that is. Joseph Zettelmaier's "All Childish Things" is back — along with two new installments running in rotating repertory through July — and as audiences are sure to be buzzing about the trilogy, sidewalk campouts on Caniff may be a foregone conclusion.
Zettelmaier, who of late seems the Jedi master of Michigan playwrights, has earned wide acclaim for his works, which include "It Came From Mars," "Flyover USA: Voices From Men of the Midwest," "The Stillness Between Breaths" and "Language Lessons." His original "All Childish Things" debuted in 2006 at the Ant, and subsequently, the play landed at Lansing's BoarsHead Theatre, and plans for a Chicago production in 2011 are well underway. This summer's engagement, however, marks the world premiere of episodes two and three — a perfectly natural outgrowth for the production, given its prominent "Star Wars" theme.
Between The Lines and EncoreMichigan.com will be reviewing all three installments of "The All Childish Things Trilogy" as they open in successive weeks. Watch this space for continuing coverage.
Episode I
With the first installment of "All Childish Things," Zettelmaier takes audiences to a galaxy far, far away: Cincinnati, Ohio, the home of Kenner Toys. Three life-long friends — die-hard "Star Wars" fans, all — and a less-than enthralled conspirator gather in a basement to plan the caper of the century. Together, they will steal millions of dollars worth of Kenner's rarest "Star Wars" collectibles. But as the play unfolds, the plan unravels, friendships are tested and selfish temptations threaten to destroy all involved.
Zettelmaier's lightsaber-sharp comedy feels very fresh, despite the well-worn, time-honored thematic inspiration, because it draws clever parallels to "Star Wars" rather than merely parody it. While it's easy to draw connections between characters and their various movie counterparts — something the playwright does frequently — the players involved are genuinely unique and show real depth. For instance, the play's villain, Al DiMartino (Chris Korte), unabashedly jokes about Darth Vader comparisons, but fully embodies the Mafioso that he is. Much the same can be said of any of Zettelmaier's characters.
Director Shannon Ferrante, in her final endeavor as artistic director of the Planet Ant, turns in some of her finest work to date with "Episode I." She has perfectly tapped into the subtleties necessary to make these characters feel very rich, very tangible and, most importantly, very funny. It's evident that she has a tight grip on her cast and the script, and the production benefits greatly from her attention to detail.
It helps, too, that she's backed by a fine team of artists and designers.
As a total package, "Episode I" is a cut above many recent offerings at the Ant in these respects. Kristen Gribbin's set is very efficient and couples nicely with the show's props (Beth Ann Thibault, Ferrante) and lighting (Alex Gay). But most notably, Lyndsay Michalik's thoughtful sound design is executed far better than any Ant show in recent memory.
More along typical Ant lines is the show's excellent casting. Patrick O'Connor Cronin's neurotic and obsessive Dave Bullanski is a fine lead for the production, and as his affable, oafish sidekick Max Farley, Patrick Loos shows a true knack for subtle physical comedy.
Brian Thibault's Carter Sloan is likewise satisfying, particularly in his act one-ending monologue — a rather poignant moment woven into the show's non-stop comedy. Jill Dion makes a lasting impression as Kendra Johnson early in the second act, as all hell breaks loose and the characters are plunged into the turmoil of their botched robbery. And Korte's brooding intensity as DiMartino is a perfect fit.
If "Episode I" is any indication, patrons of the Planet Ant have a lot to look forward to in the coming month. It's this critic's hope that The Force is as strong in "Episodes II and III" as it is in the original "All Childish Things."
REVIEW:
'All Childish Things: Episode I'
Planet Ant Theatre, 2357 Caniff Ave., Hamtramck. Performed in rotating repertory. through July 16. $20. 313-365-4948. http://www.planetant.com
