RSS
Home
Sink your teeth into Dusk!
Print
Email
RSS
Subscribe
Courtesy of Gnap! Theater Projects
After the books, movies, and tabloid hype, many people had a sneaking suspicion that this Twilight “thing” might be catching on. However, it’s common knowledge that nothing is famous and no one is a celebrity until they have become fodder for comedians, and the folks over at Gnap! Theater Projects in association with Merlin Works have set out to legitimize the vampire phenomenon with Dusk.
Dusk: Improvised Tween Erotica compresses everything “Twihards” (Twilight superfans) love about the stories presents it in a format that anyone can enjoy. The show was conceived and directed by Shana Merlin, an award-winning improviser and teacher, who has performed across the country and shares her expertise with classes and trainings via her company, Merlin Works. Originally intended as a light read during vacation, Merlin picked up a copy of Twilight at a small bookshop unaware of the addiction lurking within the pages. Obsession turned to inspiration, and the supernatural parody, Dusk, was created to deliver new stories with new characters in the same Twilight style.
Courtesy of Gnap! Theater Projects
The performance began with the familiar “Can I get a suggestion for a…?” prompting the audience participation that is associated with improv comedy. This night the cast asked for a texture, team sport, and a location in a small town, which were answered with: tweed, ultimate Frisbee, and antique shop, respectively. Armed with these suggestions, a completely improvised story unfolded in the vampire-ridden town of Blackdale, where the audience followed the misadventures of Annie, Jr. as she tried to fit in at her new home.
Wasting no time, Annie, Jr. develops a crush on the school’s beautiful, bad boy, John, that has something a little different about him. Soon, a full-blown romance evolves, complete with a first kiss, meeting the vampire family, flying through the woods, and getting caught in the middle of a blood feud dating back two hundred years. You know, the usual obstacles associated with high school relationships.
Courtesy of Gnap! Theater Projects
After Annie, Jr.’s life was threatened by vampires who hate being called cute, John had to swoop in and rescue her from their evil clutches. A great fight ensued, replete with battle cries and flying acrobatics executed with the help of two or three people lifting the vampire warriors and carrying them across stage. The scene smacked of hokey Matrix maneuvers, and elicited a huge laugh from the audience.
The cast of Dusk is top-notch. Many players had to portray multiple characters throughout the performance, and communication between them was so crisp that almost no lines were stepped on, causing audience members to forget at moments that this spectacle was being improvised on the spot. It’s clear that the 8 weeks of preparatory work with director Shana Merlin has paid off.
All in all, Dusk is great fun for an adult audience as it pokes fun at the latest pop culture craze surrounding vampires and their tangled romances. It isn’t required at all to have a working knowledge of the Twilight series to enjoy the performance, but getting a Cliff’s Notes overview from your Twihard friend (everybody seems to have at least one now) prior to seeing Dusk will enhance your appreciation for the jokes and overall experience. So grab your favorite set of fangs and make your way to the Salvage Vanguard Theater to indulge your guilty pleasures and vampire fantasies with peers just as hopelessly in love with Edward and Bella as you are.
Pertinent info: Visit www.gnaptheater.org for more information on Dusk and other upcoming productions. Also, be sure to buy tickets in ADVANCE as this show has been selling out!
Who: Gnap! Theater Projects
What: Dusk
When: Fridays and Saturdays, October 23rd through November 21st, at 8 PM
Price: $10 general admission, $5 for students; tickets available at http://dusk.eventbrite.com/
Where: Salvage Vanguard Theater, 2803 Manor Road, Austin, TX 78722
Related Articles:
Comments
