Leave it to the boys and girls at Youngblood Theatre Company to continue their mission of bringing offbeat, challenging and colorful theatre to Milwaukee audiences.
They opened their season with "(sic)," which may well be the funniest play I've seen this year.
Now they are set to test and entertain us again when they open "Cartoon" Nov. 30 for a couple-week run.
Written by Steve Yockey, this play has quite a reputation around the country. It's funny and daring, but it has a dark allegoric underside that some reviewers have said may well have something to do with our political system.
The performances will be at a place called the Milwaukee Fortress, 100A E. Pleasant St., in Brewers Hill. You know it, it's that big red building across the street from Schlitz Park that looks, well, like a fortress.
The story of this play is enough to make your head swim.
Incredible chaos arises when a character named Trouble steals the giant hammer bratty dictator Esther uses to maintain a monotonous but peaceful order. Their mismatched cartoon world is sent spiraling into a violent free fall in which friendship is betrayed, romance is twisted and no one is safe – including the audience.
"I am both excited and terrified by 'Cartoon,'" says director and Youngblood Artistic Director Michael Cotey. "It's a big machine of play. In addition to each actor playing stylized cartoon stock characters, we have musical numbers, stage violence and live animation while trying to find a balance between the wackiness and severity of the play.
"We live in a culture of violence that Wisconsin has seen its fair share of this year," says Cotey. "We picked 'Cartoon' long before any of those tragic events occurred, but it will be interesting now to see how the play's take on violence resonates with our audiences in the midst of this twisted cartoon world."
"Cartoon" features actors Alexandra Bonesho, Lindsey Gagliano, Jordan Gwiazdowski, Sydney Ruf-Wong, Jessie Mae Scibek, Michael Traynor, Jason Waszak and one of my favorite young actors, Andrew Voss.
Tickets for "Cartoon" are available for $15 in advance through Brown Paper Tickets and $20 at the door. For more information, visit YoungbloodTheatre.com.
With a history in Milwaukee stretching back decades, Dave tries to bring a unique perspective to his writing, whether it's sports, politics, theater or any other issue.
He's seen Milwaukee grow, suffer pangs of growth, strive for success and has been involved in many efforts to both shape and re-shape the city. He's a happy man, now that he's quit playing golf, and enjoys music, his children and grandchildren and the myriad of sports in this state. He loves great food and hates bullies and people who think they are smarter than everyone else.
This whole Internet thing continues to baffle him, but he's willing to play the game as long as OnMilwaukee.com keeps lending him a helping hand. He is constantly amazed that just a few dedicated people can provide so much news and information to a hungry public.
Despite some opinions to the contrary, Dave likes most stuff. But he is a skeptic who constantly wonders about the world around him. So many questions, so few answers.
