Trey Tatum and Bridget Leak (and frequent collaborator Jordon Trovillion) put together a 75-minute play that’s both hilarious and full of heart in about eleven days. This includes the script but also extensive lighting cues, sound effects, and, most importantly - a variety of options within the play itself.
Remember those Choose Your Own Adventure books from childhood? The genre is called “interactive fiction,” and Tatum, the playwright, not only wrote a ton of possible options for the audience to choose from - but he also learned how to program software to make it possible. Again - all in eleven short days. I can’t even finish reading a book in eleven days.
To say that I’m impressed is an understatement.
The script was projected on two sides of the black box since the actors (Tatum and Trivillion) couldn’t possibly memorize all the options. SIDE NOTE: I think all shows should project the script so I can follow along and not miss any of the playwright’s words during a performance.
As fans of Queen City Flash might expect, the story is rooted in sci-fi fantasy, a specific time and place (in this case - a 1998 High School Homecoming Dance), and features hilarious inside jokes, pop culture references, and a strong dose of humanity.
See, what Tatum does best (under the watchful eye of his director-wife) is convince the audience that no matter how far-fetched a premise or how silly a scenario is, the stakes are real, and the characters are worth investing in. It’s a gift that they continue to share with the Cincinnati region since they moved here many years ago.
The play is called “I’M FINALLY GOING TO ASK ELIZABETH HOPKINS TO THE HOMECOMING DANCE AND NOTHING’S GOING TO STOP ME, NOT EVEN THE GHOST OF . . .” and the title is just the first in a series, of clever and outrageous jokes. I’m so glad that the Playhouse is investing in local artists like Queen City Flash so that this kind of inventive, accessible art can be produced.
As for what’s next for this piece? We’ll see - but no matter what, you can bet Leak, Tatum, and company will choose their next adventure wisely. We’re all counting on it.