AVLT’s Skyscrapers of the Midwest
by Krista Threadgill
Were you the weird kid in school? The “sensitive” one? The fat kid? The kid who never really fit in? If you weren’t, were you one of the kids who picked on that kid? Who picked him last for teams because it wasn’t cool to like him? If any of this rings a bell, then Available Light Theatre’s production of Skyscrapers of the Midwest is the show for you.
In a script adapted by Matt Slaybaugh (who also directs the show) from the graphic novel of the same title by Joshua W. Cotter, Skyscrapers brings to life several episodes from Cotter’s childhood in a tiny town in Missouri during the 1980s. Young Josh (Acacia Leigh Duncan) is obsessed with drawing, action figures—particularly the dashing yellow-clad hero, Nova Stealth (Liam Cronin)—and the cute cheerleader, Mindy (Elena Perantoni). Josh’s brother Jeffrey (Drew Eberly) is often his only playmate, and they go on adventures with Nova Stealth and Rex, the Tyrannosaurus (Jordan Fehr). With parents, grandparents, and assorted friends, enemies, and beings imaginary to round out the cast (Emily Bach, Adam Humphrey, Brant Jones, and Leigh Lotocki), the adult Josh (Ian Short) guides us through his reminiscences of the perils, pitfalls, and priceless moments of childhood—and narrates to the audience the person he has become in a large part because of these moments. There is less of a structured plotline than a series of vignettes from various points of twelve-year-old Josh’s life. But each moment is packed with depth and pathos with reverberations still felt today. Childhood is full of thousands of near-death experiences: Death from humiliation, rage, joy, and despair is always but a hair’s breadth away every minute. Those days when refusing to carry an uncool backpack leaves behind a guilt that plagues you for decades. Josh’s story celebrates all of those experiences, and Available Light’s cast masterfully crafts each individual experience into living, breathing works of art.
Every cast member is blessed with a moment to take the audience’s breath away. Some particular moments that haven’t left me yet: Bach’s beautiful, heart-rending speech from beyond the grave; Fehr beating up Luficer (yes, that’s spelled correctly); Duncan’s scene with a basket of kittens; and Short’s closing speech reminding us that we can all overcome those things that we’re sure will shatter us. Amazing characterizations that never become caricatures abound, most notably with Eberly’s Jeffrey. His shuffling gait, total lack of self-consciousness, and complete dedication to bringing a little kid to life is a joy to behold.
On the technical side, this production shines. Creative uses of space bring a small town and surrounding woods and farmland to life. Carrie Cox’s lighting design is by turns bold and subtle, setting one differing tone after another. Michelle Whited and Eleni Papaleonardos’ costume designs are vintage 1980s—right down to the He-Man Underoos.
I’ll be honest: through the first half of the first act, I wasn’t entirely sure what I was watching. I knew I would find excellent performances—Available Light is known for that—but what was I seeing? But I found myself realizing that there was no need to define what I was watching and instead allowed myself to be swept away. Is this play for everyone? The fact that I watched one guy leave at intermission says probably not. But if you were “that kid” growing up (as I’ll happily own up to being), this may just be the show to help you feel less alone. You’ll see something familiar, something you identify with, something that makes you laugh, and most undoubtedly a few things that will make you cry. And it will all be presented to you with Available Light’s signature honesty, warmth, and sincerity.
Krista Threadgill (now Krista Halloran) spent her childhood following her parents around the Actors Guild of Parkersburg. After that, she wiled away her summers at Jenny Wiley Amphitheater, and she has performed in several local productions. She has an English degree from the Ohio State University.
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