FLIGHT18: the cosmic joyride
nytheatre.com review by Sarah Congress
October 25, 2012
Flight 18: The Cosmic Joyride proved to be a wonderfully eccentric and unique night of theatre. Structured as, what I want to say, a nightclub/party/fieldtrip/performance/poetry slam, I had a blast, made some cool new friends, and learned how to let go and not be self-conscious.
I had no idea what to expect when I entered the 3 Legged Dog Art and Technology Center. I was instantly greeted by very friendly, “flight attendants” that were going to take me to outer space, after I completed my boarding pass and pre-flight instructions. I handed over my coat and bag and filled out a boarding slip. Everyone was so friendly. I came alone, yet never felt alone. I mingled with the other audience members, the flight attendants, the captain and crew. I was then ushered into the theatre, or, rather, the “space craft.” Once there I was presented with champagne and was instructed to go explore the cabin. There were seats, and projections of the sky, a coloring station, a stripper pole, a chess set, hula-hoops, lots of fun things! The audience was then told to have a seat and prepare for lift-off. I don’t want to spoil the whole experience; needless to say, there was a lot of dancing, hula hooping, music, space projections, and philosophical contemplation of the universe.
Benjamin Jones designed a spaceship out of the theatre using chairs and projections of planets and stars and space. Paired with the video and sound design, by pilot Matt Tennie, the audience was successfully able to enter and imagine a cosmic dimension. The lighting, designed by Peter Smith, managed to convey a very flamboyant, psychedelic experience.
Creator Eric Wallach, along with his team of musicians and flight attendants, masterfully rendered a mind-bending theatre experience. I highly recommended this show for those brave enough to step outside the normal conventions of theater and enter a fun, innovative, highly audience-interactive show
