Bumbling journalist Greg is fan-boying. He’s interviewing one of his idols, horror monster moviemaker Ephraim Knight. It’s almost reminiscent of a scene in the movie Gods and Monsters, without the weird striptease. And instead of the 1950s, it’s 1978 — Halloween has just been released and the movie Rocky Horror is getting its heyday. Greg is writing an “all-Knight” issue for the magazine Popular Monsters (a nod to the movie-monster magazines that were prolific at the time). However, the magazine is in dire straits. Its owner is on his deathbed, and his daughter, Elsa, has no intention of keeping the magazine alive.
Actually, the show shares some of the topics touched on in Gods and Monsters, specifically the philosophy of the horror-movie-making industry, the evolution of the genre, and the fates of those left behind as they are supplanted by the next generation.
But then Lou Harry’s play, which is directed by Zachariah Stonerock, adds a plot twist concerning paternity. The addition is jarring in that there is no lead-in — the revelation seems pulled from the ass — and from there the story just loses its interest. There’s a metaphor there, but it’s lost in the lack of subtle. Instead of letting the audience ruminate on its deeper meaning, we are barraged by family drama.
Tom Weingartner as Greg is endearingly geeky. Jamie McNulty could have been an impressive presence in his approach to the characterization of Knight if he hadn’t fumbled so many lines on Friday night. Miranda Nehrig is fine as the emotionally maxed-out Elsa, and she is a cute drunk. Alexandria Miles plays Shawna, a brusque, abrupt, and annoying character that helps inject motivation for dialogue.
Before the show, my friend and I had a ball looking at Stonerock’s set, a hodgepodge of memorabilia reminiscent of an I Spy game.
There is some good stuff here, but IMHO, I think the script for Popular Monsters still needs some tweaking.
- Through Nov. 4, Thursdays-Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 5 p.m.; Saturday, Nov. 3 at 5 p.m. only
- Historic Irvington Lodge
- $15
- https://www.facebook.com/events/478106722701118/
The Tony Award winning musical based on the Oscar winning DreamWorks Animation film about an Ogre who finds himself on a life-changing journey alongside a wisecracking Donkey and a feisty princess who resists her rescue. As Beef & Boards’ 2017 Family Show, Shrek, The Musical features $10 discounts off tickets for all kids ages 3-15.
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The world premiere of Feral Boy by 
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Indianapolis Theater Reviews 