Deploying a short and narrow raised, wooden platform, with a total area surface of 21 square feet, seven actors in blue spandex outfits (that’s 3 square feet each they have to work with; you do the math!), no scenery or lighting effects, and just 35 minutes, Theater Un-Speak-Able set out to tell that well-worn saga of our age, Superman, transposing it to the year 2050. No actor gets to leave the platform during the telling. All of the fantastical visual effects necessary in the elaboration of this story – illustrated comic book panels, complexly designed camera shots – must be generated solely by the actors as they shuffle, dip, duck, dodge and dive while dramatizing such a highly visual narrative. This is both extreme physical performative stagecraft and compacted theatrical story telling.

Despite an unavoidable aura of farce, the adaptation is purely deadpan in delivery. There’s barely a hair out of place as we are introduced to the familiar cast of characters – Clark Kent, Lois Lane, Jimmy Olsen, Perry White, and Lex Luthor. Even Lana Lang gets a look in here. All proceeds in orderly fashion as the villainous genius Luthor schemes to destroy the mid-western high-speed rail network (I know we don’t have one now, but in 2050…) and, of course, take out Superman in order to achieve that end. Will his dastardly plan succeed, or will the man of steel save the day? (Oh, come on.) Tropes from the popular Alexander Salkind movie of 1978 (will we ever get passed this rendition?) – John Williams‘ music (dum-de-de-dum-de-de!), lifted lines of dialogue (“You’ve got me? Who’s got you?“) – are sprinkled into the mix to create a narrative shorthand, generate atmosphere, and, cunningly, a sense of nostalgic conspiracy. After all, this piece is fundamentally reliant on the audience’s imaginative participation. And this is where and how it scores. Make no mistake, for all the light-weight silliness at play, this is a sophisticated and highly disciplined piece of theater, and its steel is what brings it off. Which really is the ultimate pleasure about Superman 2050; it is a meringue developed by engineers and architects, who just happen to be savvy chefs too.

An ensemble-developed project, it emerges from the Lecoq-styled approach which stresses disciplined physical performance and improvisational story-telling. As director and original conceiver, Marc Frost must rank as the head chef.  A quietly enchanting Clark Kent/Superman, Frost is to be commended also for his direction and for assembling such an extraordinarily winning cast of cartoonishly perfect performers, each of whom seems to resonate with the recalled ghosts of by-gone cameo role greats. As well as characters, actors stand in for scenery and  objects, in forms both hackneyed and original, generating illusions, visual and audial, that deftly and economically command attention.  There are even some moments of transcendental beauty, such as when Superman is flying with Lois, and the other actors, huddled at their feet, making low whooshing noises, hands sweeping softly to an fro, suggest clouds and the passage of air over the duo. It’s simple and startling. No green screens needed here. No super-padded and enhanced costumes either. There’s enough firm flesh to ogle that could while away more than twice the tale’s duration. Just say no to CGI.

My one small cavil, if I could be allowed, is with the determined G rated feel of the exercise, the refusal to develop subtext or analyze the original tale. The well-worn frame is broken in only one instance, in the character of Jimmy Olsen, who is shown to be more than a little slavishly attached to the company of Clark Kent. At the finale, Brittany Bookbinder, in the role of Jimmy, emits such a hysterical shriek of complex delight when the Daily Planet employees are rejoined by the mysteriously absent-for-everything Clark, that it opens up all sorts of imaginative new perspectives on the saga. But perhaps I’m asking for too much here from this otherwise masterful, rapid-fire condensing of one of our great modern fairy tales. It’s a mistake, after all, to look for the yolk in a meringue. With it, it would simply be something quite other. That it’s taken out is frankly the pleasure of it.

A Chicago based outfit, the hard-working cast and crew is rounded out by Kathleen Wrinn, Thomas Kelly, Melissa Cameron, Becky McNamara, Lily Emerson, Zachary Baker-Salmon, and Alice da Cunha. More good works must be anticipated from this imaginative group, who surely are struggling to keep theatre performance alive –  for truth, for justice, and the American way.

Superman 2050 was featured as part of the Times Square International Theater Festival at the Roy Arias Studios & Theatres located at 300 W. 43rd St, NY, NY.

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• Spielberg Delivers A Steady Trot To The Finish With ‘War Horse’

The Happiest Medium Review by guest contributor Anjali Koppal .

I’ll admit it — knowing nothing about horses and not being an animal lover, the only reason I initially jumped at the prospect of watching ‘War Horse’ was the fact that it is directed by Steven Spielberg. Not ‘Executive Produced’, not ‘Presented By’, but directed. A sensitive story of friendship set against the backdrop of war torn Western Europe sounded like the kind of familiar territory Spielberg has explored and indeed mastered in the past, so I was ready for the return of the magic. I’m happy to report that the sparkle still exists, though it doesn’t quite shine as brightly as vintage Spielberg.

‘War Horse’ is the story of Joey, a majestic thoroughbred horse that is born and raised in the English countryside in the loving care of a young boy, Albert (Jeremy Irvine, simple and earnest). In the course of events, though, Joey falls into the possession, in turn, of a zealous troop of British soldiers, a desperate German contingent, and a French family trying to live in peace amongst endless warfare. Each owner comes to learn in a new way how miraculous this horse is; from its staggering speed, to its feisty resilience, to its adorable sense of mischief. And each person who comes across Joey comes to love him with an intense passion. In the four long war years of grenades and gunfire and smoke and death, Joey brings a sense of hope, happiness, and calm to these individuals.

Given that the story is based on a children’s novel, it should not be of surprise that it is rather simple and predictable. So the good remain good, and the bad remain bad (until a life changing experience changes their mind, that is). This simplicity is endearing at first but can get tiring, especially when John Williams’ wonderful, soaring score leads into a scene that is beautiful, but expected. Also, the characters are severely one dimensional, leaving no space for the cast to spread their talented wings, though each delivers a solid performance within their limitations.

The story and setting allow for plenty of slow, sweeping moments, and Spielberg takes them all. These are gorgeous, especially when seen on the big screen, but one grows weary of them eventually, especially when they slow down the story.

Spielberg is most clearly in control during the war scenes. He holds the reins on the pace of these sequences, and your muscles tense and relax as per his directorial command. Spielberg also seems back in form during the scenes where Emilie (the little French girl with the distracting accent) is interacting with Joey, though these humorous, heart warming moments are all too rare.

All in all, ‘War Horse’ is a loving saga of friendship in the time of war, that allows for the occasional lump in the throat but has a seen-that-before feel to it. If you’re an animal lover though, ‘War Horse’ is probably a perfectly warm and fuzzy way to celebrate these holidays with the family.

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Related Posts:

• Superman 2050 By Theater Un-Speak-Able (Times Square International Theater Festival 2012)