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Amelia Earhart Jungle Princess
Written by James Asmus
Directed by Andrew Hobgood
Produced by The New Colony
At National Pastime Theater
4139 N. Broadway
Chicago, IL
Call 800-838-3006 www.thenewcolony.org
Thursdays thru Saturdays at 8 pm
Sundays at 7 pm
Running time is 85 minutes without intermission
Through November 2, 2008
Lame attempt at camp provides few laughs
Despite the fact that I see more than 300 plays each year, there are some that I simply don’t have a feel for nor can I appreciate. I do try hard to give shows, especially from new troupes, the benefit of doubt. I go to theatre expecting to see entertainment in its larger sense. Most of the time what I see is stage worthy. But I must say that I found nothing to appreciate in The New Colony’s “Amelia Earhart Jungle Princes.”
On opening night, about half the audience laughed—a bad sign. I never did. I’m not sure how much of the comedy was scripted and how much was adlibbed? What was the show trying to do? Parody, satire, camp? The unfocused story moved from survival story about Amelia Earhart to corporate intrigue and back again. Every clichéd know was used to tell the story and garner laughs. Lame physical comedy and stilted acting didn’t help the show. Parody, camp and satire sure need a razor sharp edge not found here. The tone was much to light and unclear. Shouting replaced emotional depth. The show’s pace was uneven as it lagged at times. But my main problem was the lack of any character that I can cheer for. The production values were crude and amateurish. Where was the wit and biting zingers?
The style of this production reminded me of a show I saw at Annoyance Theatre that was equally bewildering. Whatever style or type of humor employed here simply didn’t work for me. Maybe it is generational? If you love the Annoyance shows, maybe this one will make you laugh.
Not Recommended
Tom Williams
Tom99@chicagocritic.com for comments
Talk Theatre in Chicago podcast
Date Reviewed: October 2, 2008
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