The Know Theatre, which lives its belief in taking risks, is currently featuring a new play by Saviana Stanescu. The aliens are not skinny green people, but two Russians who thought they had visas, and are now being trailed by immigration agents.
The play’s been more panned than praised, but I think it’s a very interesting work. And I very much like (as I nearly always do) the Know’s staging and design. The actors were interesting, the themes worth considering. Perhaps not perfect, but very real, in my book. These are just the kinds of situations folk stumble into, all unknowing. Sometimes all turns out well, but not always.
It was sad that Borat / Matt Johnson of Cincy Shakes wasn’t flexible / couldn’t think in new ways, felt too trapped to realize that he did have choices, and that a vodka bottle wasn’t a good one. And his compatriot Nadia / Liz Vosmeier – spunky is her middle name – was really more lucky than strategically successful. Lupita is a treat, Bob (the character) less so. The federal agents were perhaps my favorite part of the show. I liked their Greek chorus-ness and the choreography. Just doing their actually fairly mundane jobs.
If you like un-canned theater – Aliens is for you!