The five “Everybody/Somebody” characters have to memorize much of the play, as a different one plays the lead for each performance. It is random, but engineered by the omniscient Director Andy Callis, so each will get one shot at this leading role — but no one knows which performance. The others will randomly become one of nine other “Somebodies."
Our performance featured Caleb Tracy as our hero, “Everybody,” muddling his way to the afterlife with a bevy of amusing and faithless companions helping/thwarting his attempt to justify/explain/evaluate his life before God. I’m tempted to come back every night to see Jackson Schmitz, Heath Sartorius, Samantha Hall, and Laura Nguyen take their turns in this universal role.
This is in LCC’s intimate Black Box stage with a versatile platform/portal stage (Gabriela Castillo) and some interesting, imaginative costumes (Chelle Peterson) and props (Rylan Houle) dramatic lighting (Bob Fernholz) engaging music (Olivia Hines/Steve Vangel) and even some freaky choreography (Lauren Mudry).
I particularly enjoyed Brittany Bell in her dimension-crossing roles as “Usher/God/Understanding.” You may not really know if/when the “show” is actually starting. Are we all part of the “show”? Madeline Nash’s character “Death” was more fun than you’d expect, and Emily Brennan as “Little Girl” and “Time,” Sandra Callis (Wirth Icarus Mercer on other days?) as “Evil” and Dylan Johnson as an unexpected version of “Love” were all fascinating.
Though it was based on a Christian morality play, the 2017 script by Brandon Jacobs-Jenkins is more universal in perspective, emphasizing the randomness of life and the impossibility of figuring it all out. And it’s a lot of fun.
Remember, ALL LCC’s shows this season are in their Black Box Stage, Room 1422 Gannon Building. Park along Grand Avenue and enter at the Black Box marquee door on the south end of the building. The box office is around a couple corners (past the theatre itself.)
Tickets can be purchased at https://secure.touchnet.com/C20118_ustores/web/store_cat.jsp?STOREID=40&CATID=314