Christmas is perhaps the easiest holiday to parody. All it takes is for Justin Timberlake to rhapsodize about gift-wrapping his dick or Stephen Colbert to don a red turtleneck and audiences will be tee-heeing until at least February. But the Neo-Futurists are not ones to be outdone by typical holiday antics involving Grandma's fondness for Captain Morgan or slap-happy Saint Nicks.
A witty and unpredictable mash-up of Dickens' quintessential tale, "A Very Neo-Futurist Christmas Carol" is emceed by the Grim Reaper and interspersed with sometimes funny, sometimes tragic personal narratives from the cast, shadow play, an interpretive dance number with Christmas Past, and, of course, at least one song about Dick Cheney. In the words of the cast: "This is OUR carol, song, story, truth. Boiled, blanched, fried and flavored. Chewed up, spit out, rebound and feathered."
Half of the fun of seeing a Neo-Futurist production is to be trounced by their comic ingenuity, which is peppered with adept social commentary and anxious audience interaction. Yet, for every Tiny Tim with Turrets or raw chicken that falls from the ceiling during a show, there are equal parts insight and political relevance. An homage to American troops. A kind of interrogation by candlelight that asks how you plan to change the world. "I change the litter box," said Jessica Anne, whose foul-mouthed bursts were a particular highlight of the show. A remarkable ensemble cast of six both wrote and performed the hour and fifteen-minute production. Brimming with manic doses of DIY frivolity and revelry, "Neo-Futurist Christmas" is the perfect holiday nightcap: It juxtaposes absurdist holiday traditions with humble reminders of our stunning yet clumsy humanity.
Reviewed by Centerstage!
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