Good Luck Macbeth’s “The Land Before Dinosaur Park” was called “so good” and “so, so stupid” at its introduction by co-director Amanda Alvey Saturday night. That was just before a cast of about a dozen launched into a hysterical parody of Jurassic Park.
The production, written by locals, at times made no sense. Transitions between scenes were both flawless and bizarre. But most of the production’s quirks appeared deliberate, and though occasionally perplexing, these quirks bolstered the production’s hilarity.
“The Land Before Dinosaur Park” is really, really funny.
Friends, and those posting on social media, hyped the play as hilarious, but it started slow, causing me a bit of concern. I thought last year’s GLM musical parody of “Nightmare on Elm Street” was campy to the point of hilarity.
Would “Dinosaur Park” be the same? Some said it was actually funnier. Its slow crescendo into ridiculousness caused an initial delay into eventual gut-busting laughter. By the end, the crowd unanimously was howling.
At points, the laughter was so loud, actors were difficult to hear.
Audience engagement, deliberate and spontaneous, was seamless. Actors didn’t shy away from responding to impromptu, good-natured jeers from audience members.
Low-budget props – cardboard, puppets – augment the hilarity of the 90-minute play. The “mosquito” buzzing around the set, and into the seated audience, drew cackles.
Random pop-culture references, particularly Reno-related – #PurpleMeathead gets made fun of in savage but salient ways more than once – are sprinkled throughout the production. Some lines were even added since the play’s opening March 25 (think, Will Smith).
Highly recommended. There’s only one weekend left, and tickets will likely sell quickly.
Disclosures: Darcy Lenardson, This Is Reno’s newsletter editor, stars in the play, and TIR theater reviewer Owen Bryant serves on GLM’s board.
