One must admire a production so ambitious that it literally sets out to take the audience on a tour of the Underworld. Are “We, Players” out of their minds?
No.
They are confident in the power of their vision and their skills. After all, in various productions, We, Players has transported us to ancient Rome, to an early California ranch where Romeo and Juliet played out their tragedy a long way from Verona, ancient Mesopotamia, a fisherman’s cottage from the Middle Ages, a chilling representation of Castle Dunsinane where the wind and the mist became characters along with the Macbeths, and Hamlet’s Elsinore Castle as represented by Alcatraz Island.
And the list goes on.
We, Players has been identified (by “Backstage West”) as one of the leading immersive theatre companies worldwide. We are very fortunate to have them here in the San Francisco Bay Area, where the opportunities for incredible locations are abundant. A “We, Players” production is often an event to be remembered for a lifetime, and “Psychopomp” lives up to that high standard.
What audiences experience with “Psychopomp” is not so much a play as a participatory ritual. The group of spectators is led through the botanical gardens where they have a series of encounters with “psychopomps” from a variety of ancient religious traditions. The psychopomps are Charon (who rows dead souls across the River Styx to the Underworld), Xolotl (a divine canine), Vanth (a winged Etruscan deity who is the first of our encounters), the Valkyries (several gods at once, brilliantly evoked by the redoubtable Chris Steele), and the stoic majesty of Guan Yin (a Chinese goddess). There is also a cameo by Schrodinger’s cat.
Each of these psychopomp characters is humorously and hauntingly portrayed by excellent actors. Their speeches are sometimes vague, sometimes inspiring, sometimes religious, often mystical. They include entertaining references to various ancient myths. But the specific content of their speeches is not really important. It is their personalities, the audience participation as we walk and sometimes run and sometimes howl and sometimes close our eyes and meditate, and their fantastic physical presence that combine to make this show something truly remarkable.
Brooke Jennings’ costumes are astonishing, functioning more like puppets than wardrobe. There are wings that flap, a goddess more than 10 feet tall, a deity with multiple heads, and so on. It is all very magical.
If the speeches tend to be rather confusing and perhaps a bit too abstract, the personalities of these deities come through loud and clear. The acting throughout is riveting, vocally and physically exciting, and always full of humor. Chris Steele, portraying several contrasting Valkyries, is an impressive standout, but the rest of the cast is quite wonderful. As Quantum Cat, Alan Coyne is quite memorable. Nick Dickson’s Charon is hilarious. Britt Lauer is as charming as ever, flitting about as Vanth. Maria Ascención Leigh, as the dog psychopomp Xolotl, leads the audience in an ecstasy of howling. Ling Ling Lee as Ox Head/Horse Face is nothing short of awe-inspiring.
“Psychopomp” is an experience difficult to describe, but easy to recommend. It is fun, memorable, and almost certainly unforgettable. And the setting is exquisite!
Rating: ***** (For an explanation of TheatreStorm’s rating system, click here.)
_________________________________
“Psychopomp” by We, Players (no single author credit provided). Produced by We, Players. Creative Director: Ava Roy. Costume Designer: Brooke Jennings. Production Crew: Tatiana Gupta.
The Gods:
Charon: Nick Dickson. Quantum Cat: Alan Coyne. Ox Head/Horse Face: Ling Ling Lee. Valkyries: Chris Steele. Vanth: Britt Lauer. Xolotl: Maria Ascención Leigh.
TheatreStorm 