Ready Steady Yeti Go
Reviewed by Dana Martin
Rogue Machine Theatre
Through July 29
David Jacobi’s new play Ready Steady Yeti Go is a satirical comedy that narrows its focus on a white community’s response to a hate crime told through a middle-schooler’s point of view. The Rogue Machine’s snappy, playful production maintains poignancy despite the script’s ultimate shortcomings.
A group of friends attempt to make sense of a difficult narrative by staging recent events surrounding a hate crime directed at Carly Uhlenbeek (Jasmine St. Clair) and her family: Someone has spray-painted the “N” word on their garage door.
Carly is forced into the spotlight as a reluctant spokesperson against racism at her mostly white school by well-meaning but insensitive administrators who are determined to make a very public, self-serving stand against bigotry. Her teachers speak for her, speak over her and quote MLK while dismissing her, her experience, her point of view. Carly befriends hall monitor and all-around middle school jackass Goon (Ryan Brophy) and an unexpected middle school romance blooms. Goon’s goody two-shoes twin brother Gandry (Kenney Selvey) and classmates Katie (Rori Flynn), Barry (Randolph Thompson) and the mostly silent Shades (Morgan Wilday) agree to meet Carly and Goon in an out-of-sight clubhouse. They are determined to discover whodunit through role play and make-believe.
Jasmine St. Clair expertly navigates Carly’s vulnerability by accessing her own. She clearly expresses the anger and confusion the character cannot yet articulate. Her Carly is fierce, authentic. Ryan Brophy’s contrary Goon perfects the “don’t tell me what to do” persona that’s so unique to middle schoolers. He does shitty things, seemingly for the sake of being shitty, but Brophy’s solid performance indicates there’s something more complex going on just under the surface. Kenney Selvey is excellent as conflicted, confused, cowardly Gandry. He can’t bear the prospect of losing respect, admiration and social standing even though his actions fully merit such a loss, and he ultimately circumvents the consequences of his actions. Rori Flynn packs a punch as Mrs. Apples, the school’s grandstanding and epically ignorant homeroom teacher. Randolph Thompson finds both an over-the-top Wikipedia Jones, the school’s nerdy junior sleuth and, by contrast, an observant, kind and quiet Barry. Morgan Wildlay provides solid back-up as Shades.
Playwright David Jacobi cleverly uses satire from a kid’s point of view to shine a light on difficult, emotionally charged subject matter. But the play’s conceit never fully pays off; it’s difficult to tell whether the characters make any real discoveries through make-believe. While the script loses steam and focus in its latter half, Rogue Machine’s production does not. Director Guillermo Cienfuegos keeps the action and pacing clipped, simple, specific. His staging is inventive and playful. Movement director Myrna Gawryn deepens and specifies the storytelling by finessing the actors’ fully committed and well-crafted physical work. Corwin Evans’ sound design is clever, mostly controlled and carried by unofficial DJ, Shades. Christine Cover Ferro’s straightforward, no frills costume design serves the story and characters well. David Mauer’s creative set design is an outdoor clubhouse that fills the theatre with grass and provides plenty of opportunity for play.
Ready Steady Yeti Go navigates a white community’s overt response to hate crime while simultaneously dismissing and minimizing the victim’s experience. No one receives their due justice and no one (except Carly) seems to learn, grow, or most importantly, change. Perhaps that’s the point: racism is insidious and elusive — particularly for those of us who don’t experience it daily. But it’s there, hiding in plain sight, destructive, and certainly not confined to the writing on the wall.
The Electric Lodge, 1416 Electric Ave., Venice; Fri., 8 p.m. (6/14 only); Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 7 p.m. in Jun., 3 p.m. in Jul.; Mon., 8 p.m.; through Jul. 29. (855) 585-5185 or roguemachinetheatre.com. Running time: 100 minutes with no intermission.
