Family-friendly First Stage, one of the country’s leading theaters for young audiences, begins its full season of entirely virtual plays with The Quest for Solomon’s Treasure . This world premiere is an original weekly serial that debuted on October 4, with installments arriving each Sunday. There are seven installments in this series. Solomon’s Treasure was created by veteran playwright John Maclay, who has debuted a number of popular First Stage shows over the years. These include musicals and plays, such as The Legend of Rock, Paper, Scissors , Anatole, and Nancy Drew and Her Biggest Case Ever .
The show’s title refers to Solomon Juneau, one of Milwaukee’s founders. His “treasure” is supposedly buried somewhere in Milwaukee. Frannie, a young girl (Lina Singh), finds an old, complex riddle hidden among some of her old family heirlooms. She is convinced that the riddle contains clues to a treasure, and she recruits five of her gaming buddies to help solve clues and find the treasure. As is typical with First Stage shows, the other kids are a mix of genders and races. The first episode lasts 17 minutes, with the next two episodes clocking in at about 7-8 minutes each.
After viewing the initial episode and two of the follow-ups, this reviewer was impressed with the show’s visual appeal, fast pace and smooth sequence of scenes. Many scenes take place in the bedrooms of each gamer, and there’s enough variety and mix of bold colors to create a pleasing backdrop. The sound and lighting quality are much higher here than in other virtual theater pieces this reviewer has viewed over the past few weeks, which is a testament to the company’s pursuit of high-quality entertainment.
Another plus for Solomon’s Treasure is its link with local history. A number of famous Milwaukeeans and Milwaukee landmarks are featured, including well-known museums, hotels and concert venues. The show also includes the present, with the gamers carping about being “trapped” at home and communicating with each other only through their laptops.
All of the actors are very good, delivering their lines with enthusiasm and credibility. Director Jeremy Tardy has selected excellent recruits for the cast.
The show is suggested for viewers age 8 and up, although the complexity of the plot seems pitched to a much more advanced age range. Even adults will have difficulty keeping track of which sections of the puzzle have been solved. Rather than watch the episodes on a weekly basis, which asks quite a bit of the viewer’s memory, it seems like a better idea to binge on the entire series once it’s finished. The characters and plot are engaging, but not enough to further whet one’s appetite to tune in each week for future adventures.
