PicksInSix Review: A WAR OF THE WORLDS
“LET ME BEGIN AT THE START.”
Theatre plays to our senses. What we see: actors on a stage bathed in color and light. What we hear: tense interchanges, tender love scenes, jarring noises in the dark or voices shrouded in whispers. What we feel: joy, shock, or the rousing curiosity for what is to come. And what we can imagine that future to be: a possibility that turns into a story.
All this action typically plays out in the dark with others nearby. We are not in isolation, but an integral part of a mass of humanity experiencing that moment in time together. In the darkness of a theater. Especially in the dark.
In the epic 1898 science fiction work, The War of the Worlds, novelist H.G. Wells imagined creatures from another world descending on the earth, ravaging the planet and its inhabitants. In 1938, Orson Welles and his Mercury Theater radio broadcast troupe caused widespread panic in the locale of the alien landing that would lead to new regulations for the broadcast medium.
A new, compelling, and evenly-paced adaptation of the thriller–A War of the Worlds—is now being performed live online by Theatre in the Dark. On Zoom. No blocks. No faces. Only the voices, sounds and original music by Ben Zucker. It’s a fascinating and innovative approach utilizing our ever-evolving pandemic-driven virtual technology to connect us in the moment. With no visual distractions. Take the opening advice and settle back in a comfortable chair with a Tequila Old Fashioned or another libation of choice and turn out the lights. Your imagination will do the rest.
Anything can happen, too. This is a live event. Last Friday’s performance was crisp, flawless, and engaging, even across the wide expanse of the internet. Not in one room, but simultaneously performed in rooms located in Chicago, New Orleans, and Vancouver. That’s no small accomplishment and it succeeds enormously in establishing a connection to the players and the audience as the story unfolds holding our attention every step along the way..
In a suspense-filled 90 minutes, A War of the Worlds, adapted by Mack Gordon and Cory Bradbury and directed by Bradbury, sports a small, impressive, and versatile ensemble of actors who perform multiple roles. You will certainly find the story familiar, but the telling and the sense that you are once again sitting in a theater with others listening, is what Theatre in the Dark is all about. Make a date with someone far away—or in the next room—but avoid texting during the show. Save that for the virtual lobby at intermission.
THEATRE IN THE DARK
Presents
A War of the Worlds
a live virtual audio drama
Online through November 21, 2020
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