While you have to admire the Neo-Futurists’ attempt to find meaning behind the frat-boy-inspired revelries and testosterone-fueled tomfoolery of jackass male behavior, the results of “Daredevils”—a potpourri of physical stunts, audience participation and performers waxing philosophical on the nature of risk and personal boundaries—are half-assed at best. One disturbing segment involving an attempted self-induced-asthma attack by one of the performers notwithstanding, the show seldom reaches the level of “stunt-filled roller-coaster thrill-ride” experience it purports to be. And emotionally, “Daredevils” does not delve deeply enough into the psychology of its historical (Houdini, Knievel) or onstage subjects to merit its longwinded passages and sometimes sluggish rhythm. Only a handful of brilliant bits momentarily remind the audience that the hosts of this theatrical event are the rabble-rousing famous Futurists: a hilarious musical number about overcoming the fears of landing an aerial cartwheel; a unicycle and some Indian curry; choreography that can be best described as Chippendales meets “Waiting for Guffman.” Uneven at best, miscalculated at worst, “Daredevils” fails to deliver as either don’t-try-this-at-home-theater or “Jackass” for the NPR-set theater piece. (Fabrizio O. Almeida)
What’s In a Name? A Review of The Great Khan at Redtwist Theatre Michael Gene Sullivan’s new play is a lively reminder that those who came before are not just names to memorize in grade school. Their legacies, infamous or not, follow us in ways seen and unseen.
Not Without A Fight: A Review of "Relentless" at TimeLine Theatre Though the characters in "Relentless" are educated and well-to-do, they are far from reserved in world view—their rage seethes, hidden only by the comfort of their surroundings and the decorum of their lives.
