Photos by Jake Steinman
The superhero genre may be generic, but not at RAT Theatre. Their new production of “Hearts Like Fists” squashes any superhero stereotype and instead gives a hilarious story about the Crimefighters.
Doctor X is running rampant on the streets and killing couples every night. The Crimefighters are doing their best to catch her, but recruit the help of a brave citizen, Lisa, to help. However, Lisa just became involved with the breath-taking Doctor Peter, who’s working towards creating an artificial heart to alleviate his pain of past rejection.
The play was extremely cheesy, but in the best way possible. The fight scenes were laughable, the acting was overdone, the dramatic hero monologues were cringe-worthy – and this was the point. People take superhero movies so seriously and this is an opportunity to laugh at the strict genre tropes. The performance transcended all expectations and threw off the audience, leading to one of the best comedies I’ve seen.
Alongside the cheesiness, the plot was actually gripping. I was surprised with how attached I became to the characters. The audience seemed to band together to cheer on the heroes and boo the villain. Audience interaction is huge in this play, so come prepared to laugh and cheer.
The only qualm I had with the performance was the lack of a concrete timeline. I was never sure how much time had passed from one scene to the next. It was a minor distraction from the action but the play was still easy to follow nonetheless.
This was Elizabeth Schipper’s second time directing a performance and I will definitely be on the lookout for her third go at it. If you want to see what the hype is all about, head to RAT Theatre and let yourself enjoy the show.
The Details
- Web: http://rattheatre.org/
- Written by Adam Szymkowicz
- Directed by Elizabeth Schipper
Evening Show Dates: 12/6, 12/7, 12/12, 12/13, 12/14, 12/19, 12/20, 12/21 @ 7:30 p.m.
Matinee Show Dates: 12/8, 12/15, 12/21 @ 2:00 p.m.
Tickets
- $15 in advance online or at brownpapertickets.com
- $20 at the door
- Senior, student, & military discounts available
Cast
- Terri Gray as Sally
- Rachel Douglass as Jasmine
- Kristina Charpentier as Lisa
- Juli Fair as Nina
- Rosemary Maciel as Doctor X
- Tanner Alan Sebastian as Peter
- Hannah Mills as Nurse
- Hunter Dunn as Fanboy
