Creative design and black humor triumph again in the very entertaining new comedy Wirehead, now in performance by the Echo Theater Company at STAGE 52. The plot is familiar Phillip K. Dick material, and the story has its serious moments, but for the most part director Larry Biederman has gone beyond the script to lift this cyberpunk parable into a fun night of theater. His cast excels with the material, they maintain a serious tone throughout the absurd psychopathy and never let the knife-in-back turn to tongue-in-cheek. The result is a gory tale of technology and prejudices gone amok.
Jeremy Maxwell and Marc Rose star as the primary players in an intended murder spree against a growing population of folks with artificially-enhanced brain function. Their interplay has an ex-frat boy tone that stays earnest and fresh even during the most ridiculous of setups. Ethan Phillips (Trekkie Alert, can you guess who he played?) voices an aging 60’s radical whose radio show provides the play’s episodic format some breathing room.
Set designer Efren Delgadillo Jr. puts to work fluorescent lighting, overhead projection, frosted windows and other common spartan office decor in making this world-to-come. The design steals the show, turns the awkward space at STAGE 52 into a variety of rooms at home and the office, all anchored by stainless steel and glass tables and lifeless artificial light. His hero pieces are a real treat and, along with some messy prop design, make the show’s gleeful violence possible. Science fiction is generally a tough genre for the stage, but Echo shows that with enough humor and blood, you can get away with pretty much anything.
Wirehead is produced by the Echo Theater Company. The play is written by Matthew Benjamin & Logan Brown and directed by Larry Biederman, Set design by Elfren Delgadillo, Jr, lights by Dan Weingarten, costumes by Audrey Eisner, and sound by Drew Dalzell. The production stage manager is Lara E. Nall.
Wirehead is performed Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm, Sundays at 7 pm through March 14, 2010
Stage 52 is located at 5299 W. Washington Blvd, west of La Brea between Redondo and Hauser.
Ticket prices$20
Tickets are available at http://www.echotheatercompany.com/ 0r by phone at (800) 413-8699
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[...] SWEET Creative design and black humor triumph again in the very entertaining new comedy Wirehead, now in performance by the Echo Theater Company at STAGE 52. The plot is familiar Phillip K. Dick material, and the story has its serious moments, but for the most part director Larry Biederman has gone beyond the script to lift this cyberpunk parable into a fun night of theater. His cast excels with the material, they maintain a serious tone throughout the absurd psychopathy and never let the knife-in-back turn to tongue-in-cheek. The result is a gory tale of technology and prejudices gone amok. D. Jette – LA Theatre Review [...]