tempOdyssey

Reviewed by Holly Bartges

Black Holes appear to be all the rage as of late. Scientists look deeper into them. Philosophers dance around them, and Dan Dietz jumped into one with his new play tempOdyssey bowing to its world premiere under Chip Walton’s direction for Curious Theatre Company at the Acoma Center.

Dee Covington climbs the set of tempOdyssey at Curious Theatre Company. Photo by April Archer

And what a bow it is.

In the black out, signaling the whirl of a Black Hole, Dee Covington ignites Little Genny on a non-stop energetic black hole odyssey that runs her mouth nearly non-stop until the house lights turn the stars and black hole invisible. In a mesmerizing performance, Covington produces a character trapped in her thoughts, a character trapped in her fears, a character frozen in her own defense mechanism.

In the dark, Genny exclaims, “It wasn’t me. It was the Black Hole.”

On an ingenious set designed by Charles Dean Packard featuring huge black panels hanging from the rafters providing thousands of stars to do their twinkling thing, complimented by Brian Freeland’s sound design in his “Freeland-esque” manner, and Shannon McKinney’s exciting lighting design, the Big Bang explodes in Genny’s mind showering the Black Hole into the audience.

Equating temp work with a black hole, Genny drifts from Atlanta to Seattle. File cabinets strategically placed produce an eerie Seattle skyline. A sign indicating the company she temps for gives the illusion of Seattle’s Space needle.

Temping is perfect for Genny in her black hole existence. “Nobody knows you so you can do anything.”

Rhonda Brown has her moments of stealing the spotlight as “The Last Day Girl” Genny is destined to replace. No matter what Genny says, “The Last Day Girl” insists upon calling her Jane with reference to the fact all temps are named Jane. Genny must be at the front desk at all times no matter what, which can and does produce a few irritating anxious giggling moments.

Michael McNeill balances three roles with ease first as the Nepotism Guy, as the Boss’s nephew of Genny’s new company throwing his weight around more like the Boss than the nephew, barking orders, calling Genny Jane, never remembering anyone else’s name. McNeill also hangs his hat along side of a Scientist and Security guy. He sparks with the same electricity as the Universe sparks with an uncompromising energetic force field.

Genny humorously points toward her black hole experience early in the odyssey when she opens a file drawer to find Dead Body Boy played by Jason Henning who has opportunity to share his theatrical expertise with a little more animation than just a dead body.

First thing you need to know about black holes is they’re not black. They’re not holes either. They’re collapsed stars taking up zero space.

Identifying herself with a black hole existence, Genny is convinced she broke something.

Verle J. Hite worms his way in and out of her memory as Daddy along with Brown as Mama. She and Daddy continue to play the game started way back when even before the eight-year-old days as a chicken chocker. Genny confesses she broke something, Daddy queries if it’s bigger than a breadbox, bigger than a polky dot sock? “We’re all in bed with each other, Baby. It’s what makes the world go round.” Which is exactly what Genny fears most because “people die when they get close to me.”

Genny carries everyone back to her eight-year old days on a farm where she learned the art of chicken choking from her father. Because of her knack of slinging chickens, the family business grew. People close to her began to die off and the young whirling mind equating chicken choking with people dying with the concept she must be the Angel of Death. Consequently, the Black Hole of temping promised to protect her, keeping her snug in her own black hole so no one could or would get close to her so no one else would die.

What she doesn’t count on, however, is another temp who calls himself Jim (yes the Dead Body Boy, Henning) because all male temps are called Jim, except in this case his name really is Jim. Attracted to her, under foot, he’s in her face everywhere she turns. The more determined he becomes, the deeper she digs into her self-made black hole, the more forceful he gets into her face. She tries to tell him her fears, but can’t until it is too late and he ends up in the file cabinet.

The company whose name Genny can never remember makes bombs, she discovers. Jim entrusts her with a secret in the musty file room deep in the bowels of the Seattle building.

Dietz’s special brand of off-the- wall black hole humor electrifies this serious contemplation of human justification for unexplained actions and false conclusions. Covington dives into it head first carrying the humor even beyond his wildest imagination. She’s brilliant as is her supporting cast.

Early family memories cling to our psyche as strongly as saran wrap clings to itself rather than the bowl of fruit salad it is suppose to. Daddy and Mama hover over Genny’s tormented topsy turvy mind, wanting to be a part of, not wanting to let her go. More important, Genny doesnt want to let memories of Daddy and Mama traipse on their merry way. Wrapping herself tightly in the memories triggers the jet propulsion into the black hole of her imagination.

tempOdyssey has to be one of the most stunning productions Curious Theatre has ever mounted. That’s saying a mouthful since they have numerous stunning productions already under their belt. Everything about this production will take your breath away: the set, sound, lighting, awesome cast, brilliant writing, obvious and not so obvious giggles, and above all the mind tingling thought provoking premise surrounding self justification.

Miss this production, and you will wish you hadn’t.