Review: When Tang Met Laika

Every February the Denver Center Theatre Company hosts the annual New Play Summit. As part of this program the company stages a couple of World Premieres, meaning a couple of shows that have never been fully produced before. This year's world premieres are Eventide and When Tang Met Laika.

When Tang Met Laika is a remarkable play. It has flaws but it is still remarkable. One of the things I appreciate most about this show is that the director (Terrence J. Nolan) and the writer (Rogelio Martinez) did not dumb down this intellectual project. They had a vision and did not play to the lowest common denominator.

This play has many themes and tangents but it is essentially about a married American astronaut who falls in love with a Russian cosmonaut against the backdrop of the International Space Station. Post cold war Russian/American relations are a big theme and two symbolic characters, the Young Capitalist and Young Communist, push this angle along. There is also the basic love triangle of a marriage falling apart mostly because the husband cannot seem to live back on Earth after he returns from space.

Overall the seven person acting company is tremendous. R. Ward Duffy in multiple roles and newcomer Jessica Love (Elena) are particularly strong. DCTC veteran Randy Moore (Foma) has two very moving beautiful scenes as an ailing Russian father. Former NTC student Richard Thieriot (Young Communist and real-life astronaut William McCool) is very funny and likable. Megan Byrne (Samantha) is the weakest cast member on the stage. She performs in a more melodramatic style than the rest of her cast mates. Byrne does evoke a certain pathos towards the end of the play as she cries about not understanding her husband but I confess that I was rooting for Elena and I suspect that was the playwright's intention all along.

The design for this show is nothing short of remarkable. The set designed by James Kronzer immediately gives off a space-like atmosphere without any directly obvious signs of space. The seemingly simple design is several concentric circles that rotate when the actors are in space. Basic furniture is brought on for the Earth scenes and five projection screens help set the specific atmosphere for the ever changing locations.

I have a confession: I have seen the show more than once and I was really glad that I did. Although I did enjoy the show after my first viewing it is so complex and intricate that I was able to follow it better and pick up more of the details after a second viewing. I for one believe that all great art does require further study to be truly appreciated and such is the case with When Tang Met Laika. Allow yourself to be taken away with the story to Earth, space, and everything in between.

For everyone interested in theatre around the Denver area.

I have decided to start this blog because I believe there is a dearth of people writing about Denver theatre. I think that most of my posts will be reviews but I will probably also make some posts about interesting things that are happening such as awards, features, etc. With the demise of the Rocky Mountain News I believe there is room for another friendly critic or perhaps more importantly an advocate of the theatre.

A little about me: I love the theatre passionately, both musical, straight plays and experimental. I have an educational background in theatre criticism but pursued other arts jobs because I did not want to be disliked (or feared) by the very people I admire. I am a Denver native but have worked in professional theatres all over the country and even internationally. Because of my close relationship with many theatre companies and professionals throughout Denver I choose to remain anonymous. My goal is not to use the anonymity in a vicious or malevolent way. Quite the contrary, I choose to write this blog to support live theatre and be a strong advocate for local companies.