SAN FRANCISCO (Map, News) - An Orwellian-like future world where humanity has been called into question is the setting of “Monster in the Dark,” an invigorating, creative world premiere presented by the San Francisco-based foolsFURY Theater Company.

The show, written by Doug Dorst and directed by Ben Yalom, marks the first play to be conceived and produced by the 10-year-old troupe, which is known not only for experimentation, but for staging productions characterized by extensive physical and highly choreographed movement.

“Monster in the Dark,” which moves this week to San Francisco’s CounterPULSE after a successful East Bay run at the Ashby Stage in Berkeley, swiftly displays those qualities.

Though a bit lengthy, clocking in at slightly more than two-and-a-half hours, “Monster in the Dark” remains fascinating throughout, telling the tale of life under a totalitarian government called The Structure.

But that’s not all: Fundamentalist religion rears its ugly head, as practiced by the Makersellers, while commerce, too, has run rampant, carried out by the Stuff-Thrusters.

The action kicks in as people living under these restrictions must come to terms with life and death in the face of an apocalyptic flood.

Despite the intense, if slightly familiar, themes, the show is anything but dreary, its characters filled with passion, fire, conviction — and confusion.

The actors clearly are having a great time in the ensemble piece in which they take on multiple roles.

Deborah Eliezer holds nothing back as a hopeful evangelist, while Blythe Foster writhes as Delia, a prostitute. Jessica Kitchens shows her frustration as Mina, a married woman having an affair with businessman Vic (played by Peter Ruocco), who also has the distinction of being selected by the Makersellers as a savior of sorts. Ryan Tasker is the bold Prisoner, who has questioned authority, as does Beth Wilmurt as Miss Huddleston, a teacher who has been reprimanded for veering from Structure-sanctioned “structiculum.”

The Structure’s jargon is often funny, particularly when spewed over a public address system, voiced by an appropriately robotic sounding female barking orders to the population.

It’s easy to see how the production began as a theater lab project with Berkeley’s Shotgun Players and, after years of collaboration evolved into this polished piece, filled with sound, movement, color, and yes, laughs.

Although “Monster in the Dark” admittedly doesn’t evoke much in the way of emotion or sentiment, it’s a an engaging ride into a place that, in many ways, is not too far from what we, as participants in contemporary culture, call home.

IF YOU GO

Monster in the Dark

Presented by: foolsFURY Theater Company

Where: CounterPULSE, 1310 Mission St., San Francisco

When: 8 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays; 5 p.m. Sundays; closes March 23

Tickets: $12 to $30; Thursdays pay what you can

Contact: (800) 838-3006 or www.foolsfury.org

Comments from Examiner Readers

8:36 PM MST on Thu., May. 15, 2008 re: "Theater: Hillbarn closes season with Elton John�s �Aida�"

Examiner Reader said:
I thought it was a great production and both Alexa Ortega and Adam Barry were absolutely fantastic.

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6:07 PM MST on Fri., Apr. 18, 2008 re: "Review: �Inspector� is sadly clueless"

Examiner Reader said:
The Government Inspector: Quite poorly done. Actors unprepared. Line delivery mishaps. Overpriced. Prop failure at the end. It reminded me of sequels such as Oceans v11 - v13, where a group of well known actors use their names to draw a crowd and sell tickets. Uk. The result is a mediocre performance, in part because of too many cooks -- and some of these cooks, e.g. Geoff Hoyle are really good. Hopefully this review will save someone else the time and money.

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8:00 PM MST on Thu., Apr. 17, 2008 re: "Review: 'High School Musical' sticks to the status quo"

Parkside Poulegene said:
Re: High School Musical I just took my daughter Sharmuta to this show and we had to leave early! When we got home I took away all her "High School Musical" CD's and tee-shirts. If she even mentions the show again she's grounded for a month, and that goes for her other mother too. This show is really racist, homophobic and pro-Zionist and pro-Bush-Terror. There's too many white people in it. This show needs to be shut down and outlawed.

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10:40 AM MST on Sat., Oct. 6, 2007 re: "Review: 'Heartbreak' at Berkeley Rep"

Examiner Reader said:
Thank you for the first honest review that I have read on this production. The length of Act two was tortuous to sit through.

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12:15 PM MST on Sun., Sep. 9, 2007 re: "A �Macbeth� in the Macbuff"

Examiner Reader said:
I bet the scene where Macbeth and Macduff are branishing their CLAYMORES is a hoot!

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5:18 AM MST on Sat., Sep. 8, 2007 re: "A �Macbeth� in the Macbuff"

Examiner Reader said:
Playing naked? Not really - the main character's body is covered by fur! As the reader before wrote the actor playing Macbeth is extremely hairy. It is quite strange to see how hairy a mans body can be... His body hair was the most impressing thing of the whole play.

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2:23 PM MST on Mon., Aug. 20, 2007 re: "A �Macbeth� in the Macbuff"

Examiner Reader said:
Bloody, Bold, Resolute, and Naked - AND HAIRY!!! I read an article that all actors were not allowed to shave any body hair three months before the play started to look "naturally". So it is impressive how hairy the actor playing Macbeth is - he has a furry chest and even a quite hairy back and bushy pubic hairs. It is very unusual today to see such a hairy actor fully nude, because normally an actor shaves at least his back hairs doing a nude scene on stage or in a movie... So big compliments to Daniel Eichner for presenting us his great furry body fully nude!

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11:14 PM MST on Fri., Jul. 6, 2007 re: "A �Macbeth� in the Macbuff"

Examiner Reader said:
Good review... one of the few critics able to articulate some of the problems with this show. I left at intermission and the lighting was troublesome. sometimes I wonder what the other critics are thinking --- if you are still curious fgo on Saturday afternoons when the tickets are "pay what you can."

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9:27 PM MST on Fri., Jul. 6, 2007 re: "A �Macbeth� in the Macbuff"

Examiner Reader said:
Munch claims "there is no denying" that the nudity in WSC's "Macbeth" "does little to enhance or elevate Shakespeare�s Scottish play." Well, the critics at www.PotomacStages.com and www.DCTheatreScene.com have taken the opposite view. Potomac Stages, in fact, wrote: "in no uncertain terms that this is a quality production that presents "the Scottish play" in a new and very effective light (or is that a new and very effective darkness?)." DC Theatre Scene wrote: "The actors� nudity provides an extra dimension to their presentations...By being physically naked, these actors become emotionally naked as well. This production of Macbeth is a great gift to those who have the will to receive it. We are unlikely to see anything like it in the foreseeable future." So it seems the only thing there is no denying is that Munch doesn't speak for everyone.

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9:09 PM MST on Fri., Jul. 6, 2007 re: "A �Macbeth� in the Macbuff"

Examiner Reader said:
Tonight's performance of "Macbeth" started at 8:05 pm and was done precisely at 10:30. I'm not the best at math, but that seems like under 2 and half hours...not over 3 hours, which the critic claims the play to be.

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6:47 PM MST on Wed., Jun. 20, 2007 re: "Eye of the beholder at the heart of �Fat Pig�"

JaimeK said:
Shame Fat Pig wasn't given an actual review on the acting. There were some pretty phenomenal performances. Especially Erin Riley as Helen and Courtney Ryan as Jeannie. Very VERY good show.

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2:03 PM MST on Wed., Jun. 13, 2007 re: "A trifle of a �Tempest�"

Examiner Reader said:
Closes in 4 days

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10:45 AM MST on Wed., May. 30, 2007 re: "A harrowing choice at Theater J"

Examiner Reader said:
Why review it a few days before it closes and not mention its closing in the review?

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9:33 PM MST on Mon., Apr. 23, 2007 re: "Shakespeare�s bloodiest"

EdnBetty said:
We just returned from Titus Andronicus, the play that Kenneth Tynan called "the worst play Marlowe ever wrote". We expected gore and got it! Tsoutsouvas was also great, but Valerie Leonard was vamping it over the top. And that voice set my teeth on edge!

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9:27 PM MST on Mon., Apr. 23, 2007 re: "Shaking up Shakespeare"

Reader said:
Yes, "She Stoops to Comedy" at Woolly Mammoth is a treat!

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9:23 PM MST on Mon., Apr. 23, 2007 re: "Shaking up Shakespeare"

Examiner Reader said:
Oh, we just a-DORed this show!

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