Live theater takes an immersive twist with, Escape from Peligro Island, the final production in First Stage’s current season. This play is as vast as one’s imagination, as theatergoers are allowed to vote (more on this later) on various aspects of the play’s presentation. In a brief talkback after the play, a cast member noted that there are some 1,200 variations on what direction the play will follow.
All of this creates some immense hurdles for the playwright, Finegan Kruckemeyer, as well as the cast of eight actors (two adults and four younger actors). In order to learn the various sequences, actors had to learn a script that was four times the normal length of a script for a typical, 75-minute play. To make things even more complicated, there are two alternating casts of the younger characters. (For this performance, the “Destiny” cast appeared.)
The play is performed in theater-in-the-round staging, with a minimal set consisting of clusters of vintage wood trunks, boxes and small ship barrels. There are also curls of thick rope scattered here and there. One suspects immediately that there might be pirates in the play (and, in this case, that would be a good guess).
But there are numerous other props sticking out of the “wings” as well, including an old spinning wheel, bright yellow and green cowboy hats, a room safe, etc. So who knows where this story will lead?
Well, don’t ask the cast in advance. Their actions are directed by a series of “votes” that the audience is asked to cast throughout the play. Several narrators line the stage in order to propel the plot and “count” the votes. (The “votes” occur about every five minutes.) During each vote, audience members are asked to hold up a sturdy card (handed out before the play) with a pink side and a green side. Depending on an audience member’s answer, the green or pink side is held up The “winner” is announced by a narrator after each vote, and the action continues almost seamlessly.
Some of these votes are relatively innocuous, such as whether Callaway, the play’s hero, wears glasses or uses an inhaler. (In this performance, the inhaler was selected.) At first, one sees no immediate change onstage. However, each choice has consequences that are revealed far later in the script. (In this instance, Callaway throws the inhaler at an attacking vampire. The vampire stops for an instant, to muse that this was “the most idiotic (vampire deterrent) that he’d ever seen.”) Or was it? Only the audience for this particular performance was able to find out.
Escape from Peligro Island was first performed as a virtual version during the 2020-21 pandemic. Both the virtual and live version were directed by Jeff Frank. Matt Daniels, who is listed as the play’s Movement Director, also appears as Adult Actor 1. Daniels, one of the area’s top theater professionals, presents an unbelievably funny and dead-on cast of stereotypical characters. In this performance, he appeared as a pirate captain, an 18th Century British explorer, a vampire and a contemporary dad. The other Adult Performer, Shammen McCune, was seen far less often in this performance, based on the “votes” that the audience cast. Still, she was up to the task, and then some.
Among the younger performers in this talented cast, Charlie Cornell appears as Callaway Brown, a bright but nebbish-y 12-year-old who often travels internationally between his mother’s and his father’s households. In the play, Brown makes it only about halfway to his destination when a small incident (the plane’s wing falls off) causes the aircraft to crash on an island.
Unhurt and undeterred, Charlie attempts to check out the island. However (thanks to the voting), he has all sorts of odd adventures along the way. He meets a girl about his age who is dressed in 18th century clothing. She turns out to be a vampire, but Charlie is nonetheless taken with her. Her makes several attempts to impress her with his bravery (against a pirate and a vampire), and also finds himself attending a gala dressed in an outfit pilfered by the hired band. The young vampire-ess is dressed as a bandmate, too, and they launch into a hilarious rock music number that they make up as they go along. Of course, they are a big hit with the crowd.
That gives you an idea of what can happen during this delightful play. As one who viewed both the digital and live versions, the live version is definitely more fulfilling to experience. About half the audience was composed of young children at the performance attended by this reviewer. They seemed to have a lot of fun “voting” with the parents and grandparents who accompanied them. They play has an intermission, and one could hear adults and children discussing what encouraged them to vote one way or another.
First Stage recommends Peligro for children age 5 and older. Please note that although there may be fistfights, swordfights and an occasional knife wound in this production, no blood is spilled. Likewise, the appearance of “vampires” does not include any scenes in which they are sucking blood from someone’s neck. Even a “fire” in the vampire mansion is recreated with billowing yards of red fabric.
For those who cannot get enough of Peligro in one viewing, First Stage offers a slight discount on tickets to see another performance with perhaps a much different outcome.
The remainder of the “Destiny” cast includes Hazel Dye, Natalie Ottman, Max Larson, Lola Onorato and Elsa Johnstone. They are supported by set designer Kristin Ellert, costume designer Jazmin Aurora Medina, lighting designer Tim Thistleton and sound designer Elizabeth Weidner. It’s important to remember that the production crew must be ready to change the stage setting at a moment’s notice, too, depending on which way the audience votes.
