Family-friendly First Stage offers its online viewers a new, interactive realm in Escape from Peligro Island . Depending on which way the audience “votes” throughout each live performance, the script will shift accordingly. This means that no two performances will ever be exactly the same.
How is this possible? The live performances (which can be viewed on Jan. 29-31 and Feb. 5-6, 2021) contain a series of questions that pop up periodically. Viewers use their smart phones to “vote” on the characters’ next moves. The results are viewed by the actors, who play out the next scene accordingly. (This process could end up being clunky, but such is not the case here. It only takes a minute for the voting to take place and the actors to resume performing.)
Perhaps the best (only?) way to become fully involved in this experience is to view the show on a computer or laptop, while reserving one’s smart phone for voting. (Note: Directions on “how to vote” may be accessed in advance of viewing the production.) Alternately, one can simply sit back (as this reviewer did) and see what happens.
While this concept may be difficult to envision for some, it’s perfectly geared for young gamers, who are used to changing their online environment while pursuing a goal or quest. In this case, the six-person cast of Escape follows the exploits of a young, unlikely adventurer named Callaway Brown. The unassuming, bespectacled 12-year-old eventually becomes a Marvel Comics-type superhero who uses common sense and his wits to help fight crime in a faraway land.
The 90-minute play is the brainchild of Finegan Kruckmeyer. This internationally renowned children’s playwright has had a close association with First Stage through the years; his plays include The Snow (2015) and Antarctica (2018). In order to create Escape, the playwright had to pen more than 200 pages of dialogue, as opposed to about 50 pages of dialogue in a typical script.
How does it work? In a production viewed early in the play’s run, Callaway’s airplane crashes on the beach of remote Peligro Island. The impact knocks Callaway unconscious. When he awakes, Callaway realizes that he is alone. At this point, the action stops. A narrator asks the audience whether Calloway should: a) check to see whether the airplane’s radio still works; or, b) follow some footprints in the sand. The audience casts its votes. Then the bar graph on the screen moves quickly back and forth as the “votes” are tabulated. Seconds later, when a slight majority of the audience has selected “check the radio,” the play resumes and the lead character does just that.
Due to pandemic concerns, each cast member appears on an individual screen; a series of these screens is arranged against a larger, painted backdrop.
Company artistic director Jeff Frank’s impressively smooth staging allows the cast to change gears at literally a moment’s notice (depending on which way the audience “votes”). Without skipping a beat, the combination of well-known adult actors and their younger counterparts seamlessly launch into the story’s next chapter.
In addition to the nights when “live” performances are offered, a pre-taped version (no voting) is available during the remainder of the play’s run.
All of the adult actors are seasoned Milwaukee veterans. There’s the sonorous voice of David Flores (as the narrator), the hilarious facial expressions of Matt Daniels (as a variety of villains), and the fearful exclamations of Nadja Simmonds (as several characters). Among the younger set, Loralei Madson does an outstanding job as Callaway Brown. Within the cramped confines of his screen, Callaway is able to fly above buildings, float weightless in space, use superhero speed to save a puppy from oncoming traffic, and block laser beams. In the episode seen by this reviewer, he even saves the island from an erupting volcano.
Completing the fine cast are Eleanor Hannan (as Teen Girl) and Liam Eddy (as Young Boy).
Watching Escape may remind older viewers of the “Batman” or “Green Hornet” TV shows. Some of the play’s sequences are “enhanced” by the addition of bold, primary-colored graphics, reminiscent of the “Bam!” or “Pow!” images from “Batman.” The work of Projections/Props designer Kristin Ellert is evident from the beautifully hand-colored backdrops that appear throughout the show. The online experience also benefits from the work of Elizabeth Weidner (sound), Jazmin Aurora Medina (costumes) and Tim Thisleton (OBS Programmer).
Escape from Peligro Island is intended for children age 6 and above (probably due to the complexity of the voting process). The show is a high-energy “rush” that is fun to watch for viewers of all ages, and especially for those who enjoy comic books and graphic novels. The voting aspect is novel enough to attract more young viewers than traditional First Stage “regulars.” Indeed, this could be a fun family activity that involves everyone, from parents (or grandparents) to the kids.
