[NEohioPAL] Berko review: DEVIL BOYS FROM BEYOND @ convergence-continuum

[Roy Berko]

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 *Farcical romp at convergence continuum doesn’t quite romp enough*



Roy Berko

(Member, American Theatre Critics Association, Cleveland Critics Circle)



Convergence-continuum, known among the local theatre folk as cc, has as its
purpose a request to the audience to, “leave behind the conventional
reality of everyday life and cross the threshold into an experience of the
alternate reality.”   The theatre goes out of its way to find off-beat,
often mind blowing scripts.  Their loyal audience knows what to expect, and
usually gets it.



Buddy Thomas and Kenneth Eilliott’s script, DEVIL BOYS FROM BEYOND, has
Artistic Director Clyde Simon’s “produce me-stamp” embossed all over
it.  Picture
this:  aliens from outer space, cross dressing, 1950 space age television
characters come to life, men with their shirts off, lots of special effects
needed…come on, this  is a cc dream script.



DEVIL BOYS FROM BEYOND is a campy spoof of the 1950’s sci-fi movies with a
drag show twist.  It won the 2009 NY Fringe Overall Excellence Award for
Outstanding Play and was a nominee for the 2010 GLAAD Award for Outstanding
New York Off-Off Broadway production.



The story centers on a Pulitzer prize-winning woman journalist flying off
to Lizard Lick, Florida, the hickiest hick-town in all of America, to
investigate the sighting and landing of men from Pluto.  The script is
filled with flying saucers, backstabbing reporters, hissy-fits, muscle
hunks, and men with fake boobs in pumps!



The New York production was called: “Hilarious,” “One of the funniest shows
in a long time” and “A honey of a laugh riot.”



As can be expected, there is lots of ridiculous.  But, and I thought I’d
never write of a Simon staging:  the production needed more romp.  It also
needed a more consistent 1950 black-and-white television approach.  It’s
not that the audience, at least the typical cc audience won’t enjoy
themselves.  They will.  But there could have been hysteria, rather than
bursts of giggles.



Amy Bistok-Bunce, as Mattie Van Buren, has the perfect cadence and sound to
create Lois Lane, of TV’s Superman fame, come to life.  Her enunciation and
vocal pattern harks back to early ’50 shows.  She even has the staccato
moves down pat.



Zac Hudak, as the cross dressing Lucinda Marsh, Mattie’s rival, hisses and
cat fights well, but shows inconsistency in character development.  Jonathan
Wilhelm, as the bouncing-bosomed Dotty Primrose, one of the locals, whose
pot-bellied husband has been whisked away by the aliens and replaced by
studly Geoffrey Hoffman (Tattoo), has some fine moments.  Clint Elston
(Gort) flexes well as another of the aliens who replaces a hapless Flat
Lick resident.



Tim Coles doesn’t get the Perry White editor of Superman down pat.   He’s
much too real.  The rest of the cast needed some time watching videos of
early television drama to figure out how to create the characters alluded
to in the script.  Oh, for true creation of characters as seen in FRONT
PAGE DETECTIVE, SPACE PATROL and CASEY, CRIME PHOTOGRAPHER.



*Capsule Judgement: DEVIL BOYS FROM BEYOND is fun.  It could have been
hysterical with a more farcical, 1950’s stylistic performance approach.  *



MEN INTO SPACE runs through June 2  at 8 pm Thursdays, Fridays and
Saturdays at convergence-continuum’s artistic home, The Liminis, at 2438
Scranton Rd. in Cleveland’s Tremont neighborhood. For information and
reservations call 216-687-0074.



Cc’s next show is Craig Wright’s GRACE, running from June 29 through July
21.


For a view of what other reviewers thought of this show go to:
www.clevelandtheaterreviews.com


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