The One Hour Star Wars Trilogy: A Parody!
Directed by Donna Northcott
Magic Smoking Monkey Theater
July 15, 2023
Image: Magic Smoking Monkey Theater
The monkey is back, and he’s still smoking! The latest offering from St. Louis Shakespeare’s more rebellious sibling is the succinct and enthusiastically played One Hour Star Wars Trilogy: a Parody! And it’s exactly what the title describes, even down to the scarily accurate timing. It’s a fast-paced, energetic skewering of all three Star Wars films, with the running time clocking in at exactly 60 minutes, or very close. As with basically everything from this company, it’s energetic, not especially polished, and a whole lot of fun, although in this case, I think more could have been done in the way of parody.
I don’t need to summarize the story here. If you’ve seen the Star Wars films, you know the plot. The Magic Smoking Monkey crew tells the story in a fairly straightforward way, though with exaggerated performances, much streamlining of the plot, and a few references to other films and franchises (such as Spaceballs and The Muppets) thrown in for good measure. The costuming by Emma Miller and props by Amanda Handle also contribute much to the laugh-out-loud hilarity of this show. The portrayal of R2-D2 by a plastic kitchen trash can with a swinging lid, and the Yoda/Kermit the Frog puppet (operated by Micheál Krownapple) are especially impressive. As for the cast, everyone seems to be having a great time, with standouts being Austin Cochran’s wide-eyed, just-over-the-top-enough Luke Skywalker, Mack’s earnest C3PO, Creigthton Markovitch’s swaggering Han Solo, and Nick Lane’s menacing Darth Vader. Everyone is having a great time, though, with rapid-fire jokes and good staging and pacing.
This, like all shows from the Magic Smoking Monkey, is sure to entertain, especially if you love Star Wars. The large, enthusiastic audience at the performance I saw added much to the overall whimsical atmosphere, as well. Sometimes, I wish there were even more jokes, but what’s there is appropriately hilarious. Even if you aren’t a Star Wars geek, this is another fun parody from those familiar, crazy Monkeys.
Magic Smoking Monkey Theater is presenting The One Hour Star Wars Trilogy: A Parody! at the Blanche M. Touhill Performing Arts Center until July 23, 2023
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