Sunday, May 19, 2013

ACT OUT OPENING: InFusion Theatre Co. Presents Fight Girl Battle World at Theater Wit #review


ChiIL Mama and Sagezilla (10) had a chance to check out opening night and Fight Girl Battle World rocks.   This show is the good kind of cheese--a campy, kooky space romp with a kickin' grrrrrl power protagonist, effective use of multimedia screens, scale model space toys, and puppetry with creepy manipulators in head to toe black spandex.    Highly recommended!


Sheila O'Connor as E-V kicks some serious alien butt as the last human girl in the known universe

Visiting Company InFusion Theatre Co.
Fight Girl Battle World
by Qui Nguyen
directed by Mitch Golob
Now playing through June 16, 2013


The costumes and alien characters were particularly fun, although Sagezilla really dug this one and felt sorry for his defeat.

We'd rate this one PG13, for stage violence, minor language and some "sex talk", but it's basically appropriate for tweens & teens and up.  There's nothing too violent or over the top and we both thoroughly enjoyed the two level stage combat, the creative costumes, grrrrrl power, and clever script.   Though the stage combat, choreography and "martial arts" are relatively simplistic, there's enough campy humor and colorful characters to carry the show.


Sarcastic playwright robots and vengeful pink haired generals round out the colorful, hilarious cast.



 

Theater Wit
1229 W. Belmont Avenue
Chicago, IL 60657
Tickets are $25; $15 for students & seniors, $12.50 industry tickets on Thursdays & Sundays
Regular Run (through June 16):
  • Thursday, Friday & Saturday at 8:00 pm, and Sunday at 3:00 pm

Here's what InFusion has to say:

From the team that brought you our hit production of Soul Samurai, comes an action-packed sci-fi saga that blends punch-ups and parody into one delicious mix. Set in a futuristic universe where humanity is nearly non-existent, Fight Girl revolves around E-V, a hardnosed prizefighter and the last known female human in the galaxy. 

We infuse video projection, puppetry, stage combat, and much more in this raucous Midwest premiere.

Running Time: 1 hour 50 minutes with intermission

InFUSION THEATRE CO. PRESENTS THE MIDWEST PREMIERE OF QUI NGUYEN’S FIGHT GIRL BATTLE WORLD,
MAY 14 – JUNE 16
InFusion Theatre's Artistic Director Mitch Golob Blends Stage Combat, Multi-Media, and Puppetry In An Action-Packed Sci-Fi Comedy At Theater Wit

InFusion Theatre Company is proud to announce its second collaboration with award-winning playwright Qui Nguyen with the Midwest premiere of Fight Girl Battle World, directed by InFusion Artistic Director Mitch Golob, May 14 – June 16, at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave. Performances are Thursdays - Saturdays at 8:00 p.m. and Sundays at 3:00 p.m. Preview tickets are $10. Tickets are $25 for general admission, $15 for students and seniors, and $12.50 for industry professionals Thursdays and Sundays only. Tickets are on sale now at infusiontheatre.com or by calling 773-975-8150.
From the team that brought you Soul Samurai, comes a new chapter of interspace anarchy from Qui Nguyen, Fight Girl Battle World. Set in a futuristic universe where humanity is nearly non-existent, Fight Girl revolves around E-V (Sheila O’Connor), a hardnosed prizefighter and the last known female human in the galaxy. The New York Innovative Theatre Awards nominated Fight Girl for Best Production of a Play, Best Original Full Length Script, Best Direction, Best Featured Actor and Best Sound Design during its world premiere.

Additional Fight Girl Battle World cast includes Brian Barber, Rob Grabowski, Kimberly Logan, Steve Thomas, Michael Harris, Zach Livingston, Meredith Rae Lyons, Elise Mayfield, Kai Young and understudies Maureen Yasko and Kevin Anderson.

The production staff includes David Blixt, fight choreographer; Rasean Davonte Johnson, co-video designer; Anna Henson, co-video designer; Kimberly Morris, puppetry designer, Dave Ferguson, set designer; Charles Cooper, lighting designer, Stephen Ptacek, sound designer; Rachel Sypniewski, costume designer; Cassy Schillo, props designer; Majel Cuza, production manager; Jason Crutchfield*, stage manager and Claire Tuft, casting director.
*Connotes InFusion Company Member


Boyish women (or are they curvy males?!) and regenerating megalomaniacs add to the drama  All Production Photos by Johnny Knight

ABOUT QUI NGUYEN
Qui Nguyen is a playwright and co-founder/co-artistic director of the OBIE Award-winning Vampire Cowboys Theatre Company of New York City.  His plays include She Kills Monsters (currently running in Steppenwolf’s Garage Rep and premiering in Boston; originally produced by The Flea in NYC); Krunk Fu Battle Battle (East West Players); Trial By Water (Ma-Yi Theater); Bike Wreck (Ensemble Studio Theatre); Soul SamuraiThe Inexplicable Redemption of Agent G (Ma-Yi Theater & Vampire Cowboys); Alice in SlasherlandMen of Steel; and Living Dead in Denmark (Vampire Cowboys). Qui is a proud resident artist of New Dramatists, a core member of The Playwrights Center, an alumnus of Youngblood and a member of Ensemble Studio Theatre and The Ma-Yi Writers Lab.  Currently, he’s the playwright-in-residence at Mixed Blood Theatre in Minneapolis.

ABOUT MITCH GOLOB
Mitch Golob has directed InFusion’s first eight productions:  the world premieres of The Improv PlayPluto is Listening, Ghostbox and Créole (nominated for five Black Theatre Alliance Awards), the United States premiere of The Last Supper, and the Midwest premieres of Intrigue With FayeRhymes With Evil, and Soul Samurai.  Some of his other directing projects include 8 By Tenn at Hartford Stage Company, where he worked with Tony Award winners Elizabeth Ashley and Amanda Plummer.  He directed the U.S. premiere of Jump to Cow Heaven at Profiles Theatre, And Then They Came For Me at Apple Tree Theatre, and was associate director of the award winning world premiere of Hannah & Martin at TimeLine Theatre.

ABOUT INFUSION THEATRE COMPANY
InFusion Theatre Company seeks out new plays and “infuses” them with other elements of entertainment such as music, dance, and film. “We strive to create dynamic performances by combining different forms of entertainment that will result in both exciting and thought-provoking work and we focus on giving voice to new works, as well as looking at older works in a new way,” says Artistic Director Mitch Golob.

Qui Nguyen’s Fight Girl Battle World, directed by InFusion Artistic Director Mitch Golob runs May 14 – June 16 at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave.   Performances are Thursdays - Saturdays at 8:00 p.m. and Sundays at 3:00 p.m.   Tickets are $25 for general admission, $15 for students and seniors and $12.50 for industry professionals Thursdays and Sundays only. Tickets are on sale now at infusiontheatre.com or by calling 773-975-8150.

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