Rock On!

Airness

What the heck is “Airness”? Well, according to prolific playwright Chelsea Marcantel, it’s the state of being so dedicated to and lost in a particular activity that a person loses all his hangups and finds himself feeling so free and uninhibited that he revels in a state of pure joy. And in this new production of Ms. Marcantel’s much-lauded production, first enjoyed at the 2017 Humana Festival of New American Plays, at the Actors Theatre of Louisville, the audience will come to understand this sensation. 

Air guitar is a form of self expression and, ultimately, a type of competition in which the participant pretends to play an electric guitar. There’s no actual musical instruments involved; it’s all a form of pantomime, choreography and wild antics devised by the player. For the song that the competitor’s chosen, he might possibly supply his own vocals, but typically the contender will lip sync as part of his exaggerated manic performance. He’ll also select a provocative stage name that will distinguish him from every other competitor.

The plot is simple and a somewhat familiar trope. A young woman named Nina (played with wide-eyed wonder and arrogance by Julia Rowley) wanders into a dive bar in Staten Island, determined to become a worthy competitor in the Air Guitar National Finals. Although Nina has experience as an actual guitarist in a band, she doesn’t have what it takes to stand out in this type of contest. Not yet. She finally swallows her pride and accepts the coaching and care offered by fellow competitor, a guy who goes by the stage name of Shreddy Eddy. He’s portrayed with sensitivity and care by Evan Cullinan. Nina watches the other air guitarists and takes notes, but refuses to try it again herself until she’s more confident in her ability.

Nina soon becomes part of the pack of competitors. The contestants includes Destin Lorde Teamer, as the youngest of the contenders, who calls himself Golden Thunder. He’s filled with youthful energy and optimism. The eldest member of the air guitar family is a bewigged nice guy named Facebender. His gentle, New Age persona, earnest manner and poetic dialogue, as charmingly played by Neil Stratman, makes his character the most relatable in the play. If Mr. Stratman looks a little familiar, it’s because he wowed Citadel audiences in the title role of “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown.” The heart of this show beats in the character of Facebender.

The only other female competitor that we meet among this cast is called Cannibal Queen. Played by AEA actor Sierra White, this performer is incredibly powerful and even a little bit frightening. Entering with middle fingers flying, CQ offers some great advice for Nina, although she’s reluctant to accept it. Like most businesses and other fields of competition, the world of Air Guitar has predominately been an arena for men. That’s got to change, Cannibal Queen tells Nina, and she can help. She also advises her to find a new, original look and forget the flirtatious, “babydoll” stereotype and be herself. A lovely chameleon of an actor named Katherine Abel plays multiple roles, including the contest Announcers, the Sprite Exec and she understudies both female leading roles. Ms. Abel’s quite captivating and hopefully we’ll see more of her on other Chicago stages. 

And, as the villain of the play, an arrogant competitor named David Cooper appropriately takes on the puffed-up persona of 

D Vicious. The National winner of the previous year’s Air Guitar competition, this guy is all ego. He’s become so cocky and conceited, especially after doing a Sprite commercial on the internet, that he’s certain the next National Championship will once again be his. Played with ferocity by Chicago newcomer, Will Leonard, D Vicious walked out on Nina, just when she thought they were a solid couple engaged to be married. Nina’s need for revenge is actually the young woman’s motivation for competing in this Air Guitar contest. Only when she finally learns to let go of that bad energy can “The Nina” surrender to a pure state of joy.

Today there’s so much violence, negativity and aggression in our daily lives, we can all use an escape from reality. For audiences who love heavy metal rock music, this is the play to see. Having brilliantly helmed Citadel Theatre’s recent production of “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown,” Joe Lehman once again guides another play in Lake Forest with his usual sensitivity and understanding. Staged upon Eric Luchen’s versatile, authentic-looking stage setting and nicely lit by Joe Klamerus, the real success of this production is equally divided between three other fine theatre artists. Gina “Rocky Rhoads” Czarkowski provides her personal expertise as Air Guitar Consultant, along with Jake Ganzer as the production’s Choreographer. And, not to be overlooked, Sound Designer Jonesy Jones makes the air hum with cheering and applause, as well as the rock music of such rockers as Journey and Joan Jett. And Cindy Moon does an excellent job of costuming and accessorizing this talented cast.

Although the world of Air Guitar competition and loud rock music really isn’t my cup of tea, I fully understand the thrill of throwing myself into a completely new endeavor. Like Joe Lehman, I’ve had a long career as a professional actor/director, and the camaraderie that evolves with my fellow cast mates, the creation of a three-dimensional character and the sharing of his story with an audience. This is much like the world of “Airness,” and offers Citadel theatergoers a new experience they’ll long remember. So get ready to slay and just Rock on!           

Recommended

Reviewed by Colin Douglas   

Presented April 21-May 21 by Citadel Theatre Company, 300 S. Waukegan Rd., Lake Forest, IL.

Tickets are available in person at the box office, by calling 847-735-8554, x1, or by going to www.citadeltheatre.org.

Additional information about this and other area productions can be found by visiting www.theatreinchicago.com.