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Men of Steel
By Qui Nguyen
Produced by Theater Wit
At The Theatre Building Chicago
1225 W. Belmont Ave.
Chicago, IL
Call 773-327-5252, tickets $25
Thursday thru Saturdays at 7:45 pm
Sundays at 2:45 pm
Running time is 2 hours with intermission
Through November 17, 2007
Slick, well staged comic book cartoon delivers loads of laughs
Theater Wit, an excellent Equity based theatre troupe, opens its new season with an action-packed satire of the superhero comic book/cartoon genre with Men of Steel. This is a hilarious spoof that literally makes the TV/film cartoon come to life. It is filled with nimble graphic design (by Jesse Farrell) on Sam Poretta clever boxed set with extreme lighting design by Jeremy Getz fueled by fine video design by Jessica Ross underscored by Mikhail Fiksel’s original music. These polished production values together with complexly exciting fight choreography (designed by Kevin Murphy and Tony Sancho) utilizing spot-on sound effects, give Men of Steel a vivid live action feel.
Add witty, satirically clever writing by Qui Nguyen and Men of Steel unfolds as a fun, quite entertaining show. This is a gem that is a light-hearted and quite funny satire. Definitely for adults since it contains street language, sexual references and violence. Men of Steel is a startling tale of the infinite power and ultimate sacrifice of the superheroes. The gender is presented in all its glory while it pokes fun at the corniness of heroes like Captain Justice (think Captain America), whose costume is red-white-blue. Da! The show is divided into episodes—some live, some animation with several as a blend of live and video and graphics.
I was captivated and engaged from the wildly thrilling opening fight that was extremely well staged complete with colorful costumes, vivid lighting and excellent special effects allowing the actors to fight the glorious battles for “truth and the American Way in a post millennium world.” Each episode is both a self-contained story and a continuation of the superhero tales. Captain Justice (Robert McLean in an understated performance) and his friend Maelstrom (E.B. Smith commanding the stage) have several adventures in their quest for social order. Captain Justice has many colorful sidekicks like Bryant (David Roby), a drag queen who loves to get punched and Liberty Lady (dressed like the statue) (Kelly Ristow) more public relations gimmick than real superhero.
Burnout (the talented Bryson Engelen) and Lukas (the funny Edgar Miguel Sanchez) steal their episodes with camp antics and terrific comedic timing. Erin Myers as Helen, Captain Justice’s wife adds a sexy hero to the mix.
Men of Steel is clever, polished and funny. It is a slick satire with memorable characters who deliver enough emotion and comedy to bring the superheroes to life. We cheer for these flawed but cute folks. Once you see this enjoyable show, won’t have to buy any comic books for a while. Men of Steel weighs with laughter.
Highly Recommended
Tom Williams
Tom99@chicagocritic.com for comments
Talk Theatre in Chicago podcast
Date Reviewed: September 25, 2007
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