ASTROGLYDE 2002
Zombie Joe's Underground Theatre
 

If you put together a list of some of the better-known taboos, forbiddances, repressions and perversions that disgust some of the "normal" populace while delighting at least the same number of opposites, you have the theme of ZJU's most recent plunge into their patented experimental and progressive theatre style.  This unique formula has been building a devoted following for the past ten years and shows no signs of a letup.

What makes ZJU's presentations unique is that as you are rolling on the aisle from laughter, you swear the writers have gone totally nuts – until the next day when you happen to meet someone just like the character you saw on stage.  How do they know people like that exist?  Easy. They prowl the city at night.  They take notes.   They log everything and make lists.  Then they check the list and find the most aberrant, and that becomes the core of the scripts that will be unleashed on their anticipating public.   Their latest monologues are classic examples of controlled experimental deviancy. (Maybe not that controlled)

So when we see Jim Eshom as Hugo, the wimpy docent at the Phallic Museum, clinically discussing the properties of various penises (penii as he calls them), it makes perfect sense. His detailed comparisons of the penile characteristics of elephants to lemurs, begin to blur with his frustrated love life which gets in the way of the family business.   Finally, exasperated, he walks out on the museum in search of love.  You sort of know this won’t work either.
 Brides will identify with the wedding frustrations as wedding planner Sara Fairfax agonizes over her own polyester bridal gown while fielding calls from other brides to be.  She’s a whiz with all bridal details, but can’t get her own together.  Do we see a bit of reluctance about her upcoming wedding?

Brennan Marquez is your average, sleazy, super solicitous, vacation tour planner, but it’s not clear what his motives are when he helps a wife plan her vacation away from the husband.  He spends way too much describing the pleasures of applying sun screen and basking in the sun in  swimsuit.  You get the feeling that his interest is more with the woman than the trip.  Plenty of innuendo to work with!

Whether same sex, bi-sex or pan-sex, Michael Merton's comic anguished introspect nails the torments of being at the "Meet Market."  

His mind creates chaos between the initial eye contact and the first "hello" but when he does connect with his male interest, it’s almost a letdown.  

Denise Devin must be a martial arts master to be so convincing, as she exorcises her personal demons by totally immersing herself in the pursuit of a black belt.  Beating her opponent to a pulp in her final test, her self doubts dissipate when she reaches her goal, but we get the feeling that the belt is simply a metaphor of a deeper unfulfilled need.

The Hispanic minister from the Church of the Girded Groin succumbs to the lusty advances of a super-sexed female church member. Matt Kilo brings the house down as a minister reluctantly fighting temptation, quoting scripture with every thrust, while painting word pictures that go beyond the “X Rating”.  This soliloquy is destined for classic status.

Co-Director Rainey K. Taylor shows several sides of a woman in various stages of madness.  Or maybe several views of her normal self, it’s hard to say which.   The "HI" on her shirt might indicate she's offering a greeting.  Or maybe it's her current chemical state.  Whichever it is, her boundless energy exhausts everyone by the end of her soliloquy, which leaves everyone laughing, but not everybody knows why.

So what is the major theme and message of Astroglyde 2002 you ask?   The good old four letter word - - - Sex.  

As we see it, co-directors Zombie Joe and Taylor are pointing out that the one thing that is the most taboo is the most sought.  The most feared is the most enjoyed, all the while being the most repressed.  In that sense, the ZJU is grossly guilty of a deed not usually committed by many.  They are guilty of committing Truth.  No wonder they have to go Underground.  You too can go underground by calling (818)202-4120 before Astroglyde glides away by December 15. 2001

Comments?  Write to us at letters@reviewplays.com

Special Holiday Offering

SOUL SEARCHING SOLILOQUIES

ZOMBIE JOE'S UNDERGROUND THEATRE

4850 Lankershim Blvd

North Hollywood, CA

Reservations:  (818) 202-4120

click here for last year's review

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Drive-By Theatre

Reviewed by Nalea J. Ko


A hot and tasty evening of live music and plays written, directed and performed in a speedy two days.

Perhaps it’s not so bright to boast about putting together four brief plays, all in   but two days and some few hours, when it kind of shows.  Or maybe it is quite necessary if you feel you must explain the quality of the performance.

Zombie Joe’s Underground Theatre Group proudly presents: 50-HOUR DRIVE-BY THEATRE FESTIVAL. This quaint theatre blends into the shops that line Lankershim Boulevard and you could very well just drive on by, but you might not want to. ZJU Theatre presents four very short entertaining plays. The first one drags a little, but the last three are worth the visit.

The good news is, the staff is terribly friendly and the theatre is as comfortable as your own living room; hey some even choose to kick off their shoes and stroke their sweaty socks against the chair right besides another audience member.  Yes, this is quite disgusting and especially not recommended for those experiencing foot fungi or athlete’s foot.  You know people that clearly should not be taking off their shoes in a slightly unventilated crowded room (lady you know who you are), but certainly
does demonstrate the relaxing and soothing atmosphere, doesn’t it?

Hollywood Entrance: Starring Jill Cosh and Rebecca O’Brien. Written by Brennan Marquez and directed by Rainey K. Taylor. The starry-eyed new-to L.A.- hopeful-actress is looking for a place to settle down and call home as she begins her career. Jill Cosh, the thuggish street-smart landlady, teaches the hopeful actress a lesson about the tough ways of Los Angeles. As wonderfully entertaining as Rebecca O’Brien is, the concept of the story was all too familiar and is honestly a tired worn out subject. As the lights dim and the play ends, the pending question in my mind is “Is, uhh that it?” And if so “So what?”

Drive By Wedding:  Starring Denise Devin, Beth Hilsabeck and Lori Murphy. Written by Denise Devin and directed by Zombie Joe. Three sisters are excitedly preparing for a wedding. But the sister getting married is a little uncertain because she has unknowingly fallen in love with her fiancé’s brother in the past at rehab before meeting her current fiancé. Now fiancé and brother are about to find out that they both “had” the same girl.  Frantically, the girls analyze the situation and the soon to be bride makes her decision. Denise Devin is wonderful and must be constantly watched for she is always making the greatest expressions. These gals certainly are wonderful together and compliment each other’s performance. This is definitely one of the plays that strongly outshine the others.

Boys Night Out: Performed by Matt Kilo, Robert A. Lane and Stephen Saux. Written by John Falchi and directed by Jeri Batzdorff.  What a charming, vulgar, horribly talented trio. This had to be my favorite performance. Three guys go out for a couple of drinks and end up horribly drunk staggering around the streets singing with their arms flung around each other for support.  Charlie, one of the three, discovers that both Eli and Mike had previously (on different occasions) slept with his girlfriend. With a
train to catch and a gun firmly pressed against his head, Eli confesses that he loves Charlie’s girlfriend. Charlie with the barrel now pointed at Mike, allows Eli to catch his train to go see his fiancé. Though the story was not the most original the quality of the performance made up for it. Overall this play was very funny and packed full of action.

The Heinrich Maneuver: Performed by Caleb Land and Matthew Sklar. Written by Mark Harvey Levine and directed by Wendy Worthington. This short play is a parody of all those silly spy movies.  Two seemingly gay guys come together to celebrate their 10-year anniversary. Yuri who earlier that day quit his job at Sesame Street, unable to bare the incessant demands from all the puppets, comes home to celebrate with his boyfriend. But these guys are not what they appear to be. The audience discovers in a very funny and clever way that the men are actually spies, one from East Germany and
the other from the Soviet Union. Both now aware of either one’s actual identity the two attempt to kill each other in many humorous and clever ways. Overall this short play is very funny and holds your attention until the very end.

We can’t forget about the live music performed by Ramon Navarro. In between plays Ramon Navarro nicely fills in the gaps with live singing and guitar playing. Ramon Navarro adds certain uniqueness to the whole production.

COMMENTS? Write to us at letters@reviewplays.com

Where: 4850 Lankershim Blvd. Cross street: Vineland, North Hollywood,

(Just North of Camarillo Across from KFC).

Ticket Prices: $10.00 for reservations please call 818-202-4120 or visit the website at
www.zombiejoes.com 

Parking: Free parking after 6:00pm on Lankershim, Vineland & Huston

Performances: Saturday: June 1st at 8:30PM, Sunday: June 2nd at 7:30PM,

Monday: June 3rd at 7:30PM


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LOVE ME DEADLY

Check out this latest Zombie Joe production, set in a bar and staged like a radio soap mystery with sound effects, commercials and old style corny dialog. The "Prairie Home Companion" need not fear, however.  "Deadly" is clever, well written, with an actual plot  (a rarity in ZJU history) and players that stand in front of three microphones acting out a story about Sam Meeker, a love starved nerd who meets a beautiful mysterious woman in white and becomes involved in a torrid romance that eventually has tragic results.

Matthew Sklar, who has been searching for another vowel for his last name, wrote the thriller, and also plays Sam.  His eerie mystery story swirls around Fiona Rourke who died almost a hundred years ago, but ever so often returns to search for lovers, only to  drain their energy, and eventually suck the life from them.  A few weeks into the romance, Sam is haggard, skinny, and looks like death eating crackers - although he's probably munching something other than crackers. 

Mary Lynn Lindquist is positively  ghostly as the femme fatal, who first snags Sam with her beautiful singing voice, much like the sirens in Greek myths, and then lures Sam to her lair for fun and games.  The problem is that there is no such address, and the only one that can see her is Sam.  Out of the blue, Gus, a former lover (Matthew Hoffman) appears trying to warn Sam about the horrible fate that awaits him.  Gus managed to escape her clutches using an ancient voodoo ritual, and tells Bobby, Sam's best friend about it.  Jim Eshom plays the sympathetic, sort of dumb but good hearted Bobby, Sam's best friend, who tries to warn him, and as he is driving one night meets a horrible end at the hands of Fiona.

Eventually, Sam realizes that Bobby was telling the truth, and manages to destroy Fiona.   All the while, Alice, the bar maid was sweet on Sam, and now that Fiona is gone, she makes her move and finally snags Sam for herself.

Throughout the radio drama, Sexy Rayne Aspengren provided an eyeful as the Announcer, and sometimes as Girl #1, but especially as the nurse taking care of Sam. Amanda Kalaydjian, a Morticia type, is an excellent narrator, who breaks in once in a while at strategic times to introduce a commercial or tease an upcoming scene.

The plot gets a bit convoluted at times, but the clever lines and campy delivery sell the premise totally.  After Sam gets rid of Fiona permanently, and hooks up with Alice, (Rebecca O'Brien) they almost live happily ever after.  Alas, the Sklar mind conjures up yet one more ploy in the mystical form of an unexpected apparition that returns and you soon realize that Sam will be haunted forever, by the most unexpected of all souls.

Ramon Navarro manned the sound console, with a clever concerto of sound to open the show followed with precision and comic timing throughout.  Zombie Joe's macabre hand directed . The performance will close on May 18. Call (818) 202-4120 for tickets.

Comments?  Write to us at letters@reviewplays.com

 

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THE MASTERPIECE

Ten Years have gone by since Zombie Joe and the Underground unleashed their first presentation on an unsuspecting theatre public.  The people have yet to regain their composure, but just as the recovery is beginning to "take", Zombie Joe does it again and revives the show, with some updating for the new century.  It's more than one can handle!
Unlike many recent shows, which have been a series of short plays, this one is a full length story that actually has a plot - a beginning - and an end.  Of course, they start with the end first, and sort of work back, but then again, this is Zombie Joe's.   Any play that opens with a suicide, promises more than just an interesting premeise, and this one delivers.   Flashbacks work you forward in the story, until you get to the beginning (which is actually the end of the story) and by then, it sort of makes sense.  Looking at the cast picture will give you an idea of the bizarre characters that populate the story
This darkest of stories has images and situations that could make people lose sleep.  It's disturbing premise about an artist on the brink of madness (or maybe sanity) is doubly scary when one thinks about it and sees a semblance of someone you know in the character - even worse, maybe a part of you.  Besides a Twinkie compulsion, the artists has an obsession about not hearing profanity, and is haunted by voices.  Then there's Zipper, (Matt Kilo) a green faced, crazed alter-ego that seems to drop in uninvited screaming demands and giving an ultimatum to deliver two art pieces in seven days. The artist panics, but more than panic, he becomes violent and loses total control.
 
His "shrink" who makes house calls, is perceived as a threat to his progress, and becomes the unwitting victim of his delusion (Brennan Marquez).  He ends up dead from strangulation by the artist.   Later a bizarre transsexual called Roxy  (Ben Goodman) pays a visit, and makes the mistake of saying the wrong thing.  He too becomes a victim.  Some of the flashbacks that try to explain the artist include a checkers game with a childhood girlfriend (Beth Hilsabeck) who gives everyone a thrill when she redefines the proper way to eat a Twinkie.  Later, we see the artist's hallucination of a sensuous macabre dance with his beautiful dead lover (Denise Devin).   The dancers never touch, but we get the feeling that this relationship was the closest he ever allowed himself to get to anyone.
His anxieties worsen as time is running out, since he knows that Zipper will soon come to pick up the art.  After a coked out visit from a friendly drug dealer, the artist gets an inspiration for his final masterpiece.  When it's done, Zipper returns gleefully admiring it and has his robotic assistants haul it away.  By now the artist has reached a frenzied state of total madness.  He vainly searches for help realizing the only solution to end his dilemma is to end his life.

Soon after, an auctioneer (Matthew Sklar), is seen selling the artwork for 70 million dollars.  The art is truly unique - two life size sculptures of Twinkies.

There is a wealth of acting here, as everyone in the cast obviously stretched their talent to the limit in bringing this production to life.  Josh T. Ryan is absolutely incredible as the artist - with a veracity and compulsion that continuously crosses the line between acting and reality, and leaves a chilling visual echo in the mind long after the show has ended.   Any attempt at defining the presentation would fall short, since there is not yet a term invented to describe the space that lies beyond that which we now call the farthest edge. 

It's not just a story about an artist gone mad who suffers the greatest irony of all - - - to reach fame after death.   There's more than just experimental theatre going on - where scenes are developed for sheer shock value.   Every anguished, tormented creative individual who has faced the demons of self doubt can find some part of this play that speaks to their angst and while it may not provide answers to all the questions, it certainly questions many of the concepts that people may have considered to have been the answer.

The play will run through April 13, 2002.  Call (818) 202-4120 for reservations.  Zombie Joe's Underground Theatre is located at 4850 Lankershim Blvd, North Hollywood,  CA (In the NoHo Arts District)

Comments?  Write to us at letters@reviewplays.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


DEMON VALLEY DREAMS

 During the time we have covered Zombie Joe’s Underground Theatre, we have reported on the performances, the actors, and the themes of the shows.  The descriptions that continually describe the shows follow along the lines of various synonyms for the term “different”.  That is a gross understatement.

What has become the norm to the vast and loyal army of Zombie followers would probably be considered bizarre by other theatre goers.  They would think its surreal.  They would think its eccentric.  None of the above is true. ZJU’s shows are actually about as realistic as you get.  Except that Zombie Joe sees a different reality.  ZJU gives us the reality that lurks just below the subconscious – the one we are afraid to acknowledge – the one that we know is there, but are too scared to look at.

The one that we consider so strange, it’s often tragically funny.  ZJU lays it out in plain view.  We see it. We are shocked.  We laugh.  Then we go home, grateful that it was just a show, but rather uneasy that some of it could be true. Maybe not in this universe, but somewhere.  Take for instance, the most recent show.  Only the mind of Zombie Joe, could conjure a jogger who comes across ghostly apparitons while running, as shown by Denise Devin, or a woman whose face falls off piece by piece.  Josh T. Ryan became the “Muffin Man” in one of the most hilarious nightmares ever. 

Office workers will appreciate seeing "What the Boss wants", as people click furiously on keyboards and those into fashion will fall over when they see Power Tie along with the music that Zombie Joe composed for it.

 Whether its a liquor store ripoff or a virtual tourist or a girl with a black eye, everyone of the less than one minute scenes is sure to conjure back a comical slant at some one's nightmares in one way or another.

There is no way these things can be written about.  You have to see them.  Actually, one must experience the sensation of being surrounded by the Zombie-ites who often sit dead quiet while a scene is acted out and then whoop and holler after the vignette.  A trip to Zombie Joe's is more than just going to the theatre.

It's like stepping into a different world where the bizarre is normal, and the normal is absurd.  It's like walking into a performance art piece and becoming a part of the art - it's like dropping in on someone elses nightmare, only to discover it's yours, and you understand every bit.  While it may be considered off-the-wall now, there is a good chance that in a few years this may be mainstream theatre.  Zombie Joe could be light years ahead of everyone else!

The other actors for this show include Beth Hilsabeck, Matt Kilo, Carlos Mora, Lori Murphy, Matthew Sklar, Lisa Soule and Rainey K. Taylor.  This show will continue until February 17th.  Zombie Joe's is located at 4850 Lankershim Blvd in North Hollywood.  Call (818) 202-4120 for reservations.

  Comments? Write to us at letters@reviewplays.com

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ASTROGLYDE

It's not so much that the people at Zombie Joe's Underground Theatre are crazy.  It's more like everybody else is, and they are the only sane ones who know what it's really like.  When they show us how things really are, we don't believe it, and the only alternative left is to laugh our heads off.  Such is the case with Astroglyde, the latest offering from the Underground group, who surfaces once in a while to hold up a fun house mirror for everyone, and then sneaks back down to giggle and plot their next manifestation.  Six actors wrote and performed "soul searching soliloquies" that target the most common of human foibles in the most deprecating humorous situations, leaving one to wonder if the world is really that weird or if maybe we stepped into another dimension.

 Take Ping, for instance.  Anyone who has ever been around computers appreciated Denise Devin's characterization of the Network Administrator holding a training session for a group of technically challenged employees with little interest in learning.  Devin's character has the personality of a floppy as she demeaningly tries to guide her charges, becoming more and more passionate about the machines until she erupts into maniacal screaming, declaring the computer is her only love and most trusted companion.  Sounds sick?   Take a good look at the IT person in your company tomorrow

Matt Kilo's devastating message to gothic party goers in devil drag is clear as he becomes the protagonist in MacFisto's Night  Out.  Get drunk and you'll do something stupid.   Like walking from Hollywood to Chatsworth.  His rationale is so off the wall that it almost begins to make sense, and then you realize that its so bizarre that it must be true! Kilo is so convincing he even looks a little like the part.   No - not the devil - - - the wasted nut who walks miles at night!

Everybody who's had a first date can relate to Beth Hilsabeck's teen-age girl and her feelings after The Kiss.   You can almost see the couple sitting at the movies, he casually touching her knee while she has all kinds of things going in her mind.  Her personification of the typical excited and starry eyed girl is right on.   But her portrait of the dumb teen-age boy is better.  Either she had brothers and captured their personae totally, or she went on many first dates.  She was super.
And on the subject of super,   Brennan Marquez does a funny bit as the announcer in a convention of "Super Heroes".  One debate is whether to wear the super costume inside or outside.   He caps off the premise when he becomes nerdy Frisbee Man declaring war on his nemesis, Boomerang Woman, who obviously keeps coming back at you.  It's as if a Circle of Justice kept you going in circles.

For the Elvira fans looking for "sexy", you'll definitely be sucked in by Sarah Fairfax portraying a vampire suffering from  Low Blood Sugar.  Although she claims to be several hundred years old, she doesn't look a day over twenty, but they say that comes from good blood.  She prefers certain blood types over others and her explanation of her preferences makes morbid sense somehow. She had to excuse herself early to get a drink.  

For those who love infomercials about health and a good Workout, Rainey K. Taylor played every diet and health commercial ever made, complete with disclaimers and outrageous promises.   She was a better spokesperson than most and one almost wanted to get up and go buy whatever she was selling.  If nothing else, just to get her to stop the commercial!   Her relentless energy almost made you mad to see someone with so much vigor. 

 
Fast paced and tightly written, this show whizzes by before you know it.  Co-directors Zombie Joe and Rainey K. Taylor move the actors briskly along, squeezing  every joke and situation for the last laught.  Better hurry however, because this show will have only three more presentations on Dec 9, 15 and 16.  Call (818) 202-4120 for reservation information.  Zombie Joe's is located at 4850 Lankershim Boulevard in North Hollywood.

Comments?  Write to us at letters@reviewplays.com

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THE PENIS MONOLOGUES

Los Chupacabras
At Zombie Joe's Underground Theatre

 Los Chupacabras comedy group has been making the rounds at theatres here and there, dispensing their weird brand of humor since 1996. Jim Eshom, John Falchi, Matthew Hoffman and William Norrett have obviously worked together for some time, as their presentation flows easily and their timing clicks most of the time.

When the show opened, there was a takeoff on the Vagina Monologues, which was to set the mood what was to follow - - - almost. We thought that with the name The Penis Monologues, these guys would go way beyond the boundaries and do some really daring things. They often came very close, but always seemed to back off just at the edge, as if they were afraid to do something that would offend the audience. Guess they don't know that Zombie Joe's regular crowd is used to theatre that is so far out of the box, they are not easily offended, except by blandness. In that, we suspect that some may have been offended that evening.
The group presented some prepared sketches and some improvisations which for the most part kept the audience laughing. Their sketch on Alexander Graham Bell's first phone call was very good, as was their Guns of Navarone, which was so far off the original, it bordered on Mel Brooks' type of madcap comedy.
Another original offering was the "Buy American" bit, which took dead aim at the hype surrounding the current patriotic resurgence. You could almost substitute their characters for the TV pitchmen that are beginning to proliferate the boob tube. The funniest were the John Travolta/Scientology improvisation and a recurring George W. Bush being coached with little success on speech and diction on various terms dealing with the current crisis.

It was a short hour of fun and sometime madness, and the group shows a definite style that could develop into a signature presentation. When you first enter, you are asked to write a funny sentence and place it in a "Sombrero of Fun" which will be used later in the show. They also ask for audience input, so you are almost guaranteed a different performance with each presentation.

As for the name, Los Chupacabras, the notes tell us that the term literally means "goat sucker", a beast said to roam at night in Costa Rica seeking livestock to devour, or suck their blood. Overlap that image with the title The Penis Monologues and the expectations are enough to make the worst skeptic raise at least one eyebrow, if not something else. Alas, the expectations exceeded the results.

The Penis Monologues will play through November 3rd at Zombie Joe's Underground Theatre Group at 4850 Lankershim Boulevard, North Hollywood, Call (818) 202-4120 for reservations.

Comments?  Write us at letters@reviewplays.com

 

 

 

 
SKETCHES FROM THE UNDERGROUND: 8 BALL
Zombie Joe's Underground Theatre

Sketches from the Underground Sketches from the Underground made its debut at Zombie Joe's in 1993, and became an instant hit with the ZJU cult which keeps adding to its ranks with each performance. In its seventh reincarnation, "Sketches . . ." has grown to include the most bizarre of the "Horrific - Progressive" genre of theatre, explored and refined by Zombie Joe and the rest of the Underground.  This most recent offering presents forty five (45 - count them) sketches in just over one hour, so you get an idea of the frenetic energy that bristles in this presentation.

Every phase of the human experience is looked at, poked fun at, and mercilessly dissected, all in a matter of minutes

The ZJU company takes everyday events and themes from the average repertoire of personal mayhem, and then twists and bends them into a view of a partial reality only to eventually have us find that the grotesque image is frighteningly accurate. The result is much like a silly putty figure which has been uncomfortably magnified, and what we had perceived as normal is actually distorted.

With each vignette, the crowd howls and roars with laughter, but many times the laughter is rather nervous as we feel these guys are getting a little too close to our deepest secrets.

The three foot tall guy who is insecure about his size, the lovers getting caught in the act, the party dancers who can't dance, the drag queen who doesn't date men, they're all there. There is even a nude scene with Zombie Joe and Josh Ryan, but this one you'll have to see to find out how it plays out.

There is a constant phone that is never answered and a human traffic jam on the 405 freeway.  Dustin Fine's eerie look in the sketch where three men stare intently was one of the weirdest moments, and Amanda Spillane's reverence of Ryan's acting was hysterically preposterous.  The Titanic spoof with the couple extending their arms on the ship's bow was absurd.
The man who said "Don't laugh at me" and three bodies wind up hacked and bloody was the scariest as Josh Ryan holds an axe and knife laughing bizarrely.  Too weird to be funny!

White face make-up serves to amplify the actors' expressive distortions  which are vital to the show. Ryan's facial plasticity fits snugly into Zombie Joe's often blank expression and an absolutely blank and empty stage area served the theme admirably in this instance.

 
Between these extremes, there is Reiko, complaining in staccato Japanese to Zombie Joe, who responds in passively slow English; Zombie Joe stopping to take a phone call in the middle of the show, telling the caller he's doing a scene and has 27 more sketches to go before the end of the evening.

The antics of co-directors' Josh T. Ryan and Zombie Joe's are nothing short of controlled madness. These two work together like the old comedy duos of the past,  with thesame energetic rapport of a Laurel and Hardy or Abbot and Costello, but on a different level.

The term "Underground" which usually means something illicit or clandestine is probably not the right word to describe these sketches. Rather than being hidden, they are above ground - - - so far above and over the top that only a few rarified individuals can ever get to see them, and even fewer will even know if there is any meaning to them.
Zombie Joe is able to translate these and bring them a little closer so that the grotesque populace has the opportunity to enjoy them.  Even so, they are so far outside the box, you'll need a guide to get you back. The Sketches From The Underground will continue to disorient the crowds until October 13th. For reservations call (818)202-4120. Zombie Joe's Underground Theatre is located at 4850 Lankershim Boulevard in North Hollywood, in the NoHo Arts District.
 

Comments?  Write us at letters@reviewplays.com

DD3

ZJU Theatre always delivers unique fare, and the latest group of short plays written by playwright and actor Denise Devin is a mosaic of exploratory theatre, starting somewhere in the middle and subtly sliding to the extremes where the situations are put under a magnifying glass for each one to see what they will for themselves. The spartan sets add a sharp edge to the presentations and force the audience members to fill in the blanks with their own imagination.  It is the kind of effort that a company like Zombie Joe's does best, and probably the type of work that less adventurous houses will shy away from.
Imagine you come into a great deal of money.  Your reaction might be to buy a house, a car, quit work or take long trips. The Firemen, studies two lucky finders of a fortune, who start making plans.   But one has read that big lottery winners eventually  lost it all, since they don't know how to deal with it,  and wind up worse than they were before. His reluctant partner, Tino thinks this is hogwash, but Joe is so convincing that eventually he relents, realizing that they are not made for the "good life". So what happens to the money? They arrange to have their hated boss find it, so he can quit work, enjoy the good life and eventually be miserable like all the other big winners. Right!
Win or Lose is dark and tragic, where a Jenny, (Denise Devlin) a writer visits Shannon, a long time friend who is now a lawyer.  Shannon has been assigned to defend a rapist, and she is relishing the challenge the case provides.
When Jenny confides that the man she is defending is the same one who raped her years before, but was not convicted, Shannon is shocked. Now she is faced with a dilemma, and when Jenny escalates the problem by asking her to make sure the man is found guilty, she is offended.  She feels she is being asked to breach the law and refuses adamantly.  After a very tense and gripping conversation, Jenny feels that her friend is betraying her, and one gets the feeling that she will find a resolution within, or even outside the legal system if needed.  The play leaves more questions than answers, with the dilemma hanging between the two friends.  Is the law to be served above all - - - or should a criminal be allowed to go free because of legal loopholes.  Which is the greater crime - - - the rapist or the victim seeking vengance?
Peru is a symbolic account of two lovers visiting the ancient ruins of Peru.  He is an archeologist, who welcomes the opportunity to study the past in ancient Peru.  When they arrive, they suddenly find themselves in a time warp.  A strange native woman finds them and tells them she is a guide.  Maggie is lured away by the native guide, who tells her she's a princess, and she is needed to save her people. The boyfriend suddenly blacks out in a mist of smoke, and when he comes to his girlfriend is gone.   Her disappearance is never solved, and John returns to the US without her, but secretly feels the need to return to find his true love.  He eventually finds a new life, marries and tries to move on, but never quite forgets the event, or Maggie.   Years later he goes back and discovers an ancient mummy of a princess. Upon examination, he sees the mummy wearing a ring – the ring he had given Maggie just before their trip.

The play runs through August 12, 2001.

 

Comments?  Write us at letters@reviewplays.com

 

Festival of Living Art

Any time a new production premieres at Zombie Joe's Underground Theatre in North Hollywood, you sort of hold of your breath and brace yourself for an experience that will plunge you into the unreal, the bizarre, the unexpected and the surreal.  The one thing you know for sure is that there will be nothing bland or commonplace in the presentation.

This Festival of Living Art is no exception.

 Vaguely reminiscent of the Laguna Beach Festival of the Arts, where live people, (as opposed to not-live ones) pose in the positions of world class masterpieces, and make the paintings come to life, Zombie Joe's version is far more irreverent and way more interesting.  We suspect that most of the scenes, or "Art Pieces" came from the fertile mind of Zombie Joe, although the program credits (or blames) no one person specifically for the concepts.

But who else would conceive of a surgeon who eats his own flesh?  Where can you find anyone who can set up a scene from The Ten Commandments with Moses and Nefertiti and even though they play it straight, becomes one of the funniest pieces in the show?

 
How about winding two naked bodies around each other and calling it, "Man and Woman, Entwined?"  For people who get off on legs, have they got a scene for you!  If you like to laugh at absurditiy, you love the Pizza boy making change, and the Audition at the Taper.

Some scenes were reverently religious and dead serious, like the Baby Jesus, and the Holy family, a sharp contrast to an earlier "Family Portrait", which was devastating in its accuracy at portraying the indifference of today's family who tries to make it seem like they are a lovey - dovey bunch.

The man sitting on the toilet praying (in Spanish) brought the house down, which tells you a little about what makes people laugh.  Most people couldn't understand a word, but everyone knew what he was asking for.
The Person Praying on the Toilet was probably one of the funniest moments, but close behind was the Lizard Girl, a totally lizardly costumed actor with movements and attitude that any lizard, lounge or otherwise, would envy.   Alas, there were a few fizzled concepts.  The Sweater Wearing Yuppies should drink more Zima - maybe that'll either make them funnier or zonk them out totally so they have more time for the previous Pizza Boy.  The Spinning Hippy did not swirl us, nor did the Painter on Ladder.  Ok so, Ty Cobb hit .367 lifetime (about 3 out of ten) and that's considered great - Zombie Joe can miss one or two here and there and still be The Man!
 
While we've been carrying on about Zombie Joe and his unique look at the world, one must remember that the actors were the ones that made this work.  They too seem to be endowed with this ability to look outside the box and find the edge that makes the  muse flow with energy and creativity.   Either that, or they were all permitted to leave the asylum for the evening, with their keepers lurking nearby.
 
The gang of nine comprises Denise Devin, Salvador Enriquez, Dustin Fine, Rebecca Grace, Eiji Inoue, Gabrielle Miller, Gus Novack, Claire Partin and Amanda Spillane.  Joe Castro made the prosthetics, Sam Batzdorff worked the great sound, Jeri Batzdorff created some terrific costumes, and Richard Thompson was the ramrod on the scenics.  A wonderfully bizzare statue of Lots Wife was created by Naomi Buckley.  Zombie Joe produced and directed this festival, enthusiastically praised by the audience with cheers and loud applause, all of which were not nearly enough to give the actors the real appreciation they deserved.
Zombie Joe's Underground Theatre Group is located at 4850 Lankershim Blvd, North Hollywood.  Call the reservation hotline (818) 202-4120 between July 22 and July 8.
 

 

The Box

"A new theatre fantasy from Zombie Joe about a mysterious box and the characters it attracts to it."
The above press release from Zombie Joe hardly does justice to the production.  Not only is this a mysterious box  - this is a mysterious play, where people scratched their heads and skewed their faces trying to figure out what they had just seen.

Just to get an idea, as people came in someone asked, "Where's the stage?"   Where indeed - - - as chairs circled the entire area which had an outline on the floor indicating the "foul" line, inches away from the perimeter of the chairs.

In the exact center was a small black square box - which became the fulcrum for most of the action.  The production was a series of vignettes, each one more surreal than the previous, and the actions more symbolic as they went along. 
 

Two actors dressed like electric conduits humming like electrons open the play, followed immediately by two men in black, brandishing guns as if they were in a stealth reconnaissance mission. 

They exit as quickly as they enter and after a black out, a go-go dancer appears on the box, apparently unaware of a man who seems to stare from all angles with more than just a passing interest.  Then fade to black.
 

Next a minister is standing on the box, arms towards heaven as if saying "take me Lord. Take me!" while a rabbi jumps all around the box with flailing arms.  The rabbi pushes the minister off, and replaces him in the same position, but soon the minister pushes the rabbi off and he gets back.  This goes on and on, faster until the action is a total frenzy. 

Every performance piece is equally peculiar as we see a woman fall in love with a statue, offering it flowers, a beach party, a blind woman who is led from her sorrow by El Zotto (a Zorro like character) and by a superman type with a boom box.
 

The box itself is the star of one vignette, as it wheezes, grunts, whistles and makes other strange sounds.

No doubt that writer, producer, director Zombie Joe has an eye for the symbolic and surreal.  From the looks of some people's expressions, this may have been a bit much, but whatever you think, you have to say it was done with style

This is the kind of production that provokes the audience to have definite opinions, and to comment with no equivocation on what they think it means.  We can tell you what we think it means.

We think it is a parody of the world where everyone is looking for the fabled 15 minutes of fame that Andy Warhol promised, and where they unwittingly prove that Shakespeare was right when he said that the world is a stage and everyone is an actor playing a part.  The box is like the proverbial "soap box" from which people preach or act out their thoughts - right or wrong, good or bad and the eclectic group of characters are a mosaic of the populace - perhaps the "grotesque populace", but nevertheless, a symbolic large part of the world.
 

This show is so offbeat that there is not a TV company or a movie producer in their right mind that would ever have the nerve, the vision or the aplomb to put on this type of production.  Fortunately for LA, there is Zombie Joe.

The show has been extended through May 13, 2001.  Call (818) 202-4120 for reservations.

Comments?  Write us at letters@reviewplays.com