Folks, VPM drama has done it once again. This show was definitely not what I–or anyone else –could’ve expected, and based on the name of the show, I was even less prepared for it. As an additional pressure for the show to be hilarious and interesting for a good Sword and Shield review, I brought along my little brother, a big theatre disliker. I am proud to report that the show did surpass my expectations.
The premise of the show was vaguely touched upon by a prior article, but when the audience sat down, they were handed an unusual program. On it, there was a menu of shows that the actors would do if you called the number of the show, which all of those numbers were written on papers hanging by pegs on a washing line. I was sitting in the front row, also known as the “splash zone” for audience interactions, which turned out to be a very interesting way to experience the show.
The show began with a reminder of how the show worked by actors Daniel Muller, Zane Yeazel, and Anna Wagner, who showed us a clock with 90 minutes on it, telling us that we had to call out the numbers quickly in order to get through all of the shows, adding additional pressure onto the audience, making us really feel like we were a part of the action.
As numbers were screamed out at the end of each show, they were ripped and thrown into the audience to catch, and the next skit commenced. Each show was as hilarious as the last, and everyone engaged in laughs-o-plenty, and much to my delight, my tough critic of a brother seemed to agree. My favorite shows were like “All These Things Are True” which utilized all of the very talented cast, (Amalia Weix, Blue Bartlett, Derek Sisauyhoat, June Witt, Lucia Rey, Marguerite Penning, Alex Vetrovec, Star McGaha, Tobias Cullen, and the three actors listed before) who were all showcased in the variety of shows they were in, adding to the pleasant feeling of having absolutely no idea what was going to happen.
Since I was so close to the stage, I got to experience the interactions firsthand, as the cast brought audience members on stage, making them confess, answer questions, and giving them socks made it feel like more than a show, but more like a party, where things just get out of hand and you have a great time.
Luckily, we made it through all of the shows when I came to the show on opening night, and I knew that it was an amazing thing that we did, because if I had missed anything, I would be forever upset that I didn’t get to experience all of that. I offer my congratulations to the cast and crew for amassing so many mini-shows when I knew there were some bumps in the production of the play. Though the final product was a masterclass of good old fun.
