Austinist Theatre Review: Return of the Intergalactic Nemesis

It’s pretty hard not to like Salvage Vanguard’s Intergalactic Nemesis trilogy (of which we saw Episode II: The Return of the Intergalactic Nemesis this past Friday). As the lights come up, an incredibly dry and playfully sarcastic LB Deyo introduces the show like a late night personality doing his opening bit. The audience warms, then laughs – almost as if Deyo is their new buddy, with whom they’re merely shootin’ the shit. By the time the cast of characters is introduced, we feel like we’re watching our new best friends stridently take the stage.

From that point on, it’s all campy, over the top sci-fi adventure under the guise of old school radio drama – complete with improvised commercials and live foley sound effects! Ben Wilcott (played by SVT acting superstar Brent Werzner) is the brilliant American scientist, capable of creating inter-galactic telescopes, seeing far beyond the reaches of human imagination! His supposed assistants, Dr. Heinermuellerschlosssenschlagermeisterschloss (Shannon McCormick, SVT’s comedic bald eagle), and Natalia Zorokov (Jenny Larson, our girlfriend’s favorite) plot to steal Wilcott’s plans for those nefarious European no-good-nicks: Germany and Russia! His long lost love, Molly Sloan (played by the unstoppable Lee Eddy) -- the street-wise reporter who always gets her scoop -- has gone missing under disturbing and confusing circumstances! Needless to say, dear lovers of freedom and democracy, Wilcott has a lot to accomplish if he’s going to get the girl and save the universe.

The story here is the performances. With a nod to radio nostalgia, director Jason Neulander presents the piece as a staged reading on steroids, with the actors referencing their scripts throughout. A cartoon sci-fi graphic is the set’s only decoration beyond the plain black chairs in which the actors sit. In this stripped down production, the talent of the actors shines (the cast as a whole is fantastic, with the aforementioned performers as stand-outs), and the ridiculous (read: ridiculously funny) plot is allowed to play out in the audience’s imagination. Combine that with the hysterically accurate home-made sound effects created live by Buzz Moran and Hilary Thomas – aided and abetted by Graham Reynolds’ kitschy mood music – and you’ve got yourself an incredibly engaging, entertaining night at the theatre.

The Intergalactic Nemesis runs through July 1st at the Blue Theater. Episode I on Thursdays, Episode II on Fridays, and Episode III on Saturdays. Call 512-SVT-6 for tickets info or visit the Salvage Vanguard website.

Image (c) SVT.