The ensemble of Rod Hinckley Breaks The Guinness World Record For Longest Usable Golf Club (Photo by Denise Devin)
Reviewed by Lovell Estell III
Zombie Joe’s Underground Theater
Through April 5
Comes now from director Denise Devin and the gang at Zombie Joe’s Underground Theater this wildly fanciful tale, written by Dan Waldkirch, about an invention that threatens civilization and the world, doubles as a vehicle for space travel and exploration, and for the amorously inclined, provides a means of finding love and commitment. Yeah, it’s bizarre , but this is Zombie Joe’s, and it’s all part of the fun.
Rod Hinckley and Daryl (Jonica Patella, Ian Heath) are close friends and avid golfers, who for six years have been playing the game with no appreciable progress. They are also inventors, of sorts. Rod isn’t happy about the meaning of his life, and gets the idea that he must do something “important,” instead of wasting time swinging a golf club. He decides to make it into the Guinness Book of World Records by creating a 30 foot golf club.
But success and ambition can be hard to handle, and next up on the assembly line is a 100 foot club. Then, thanks to Rod’s genius as an inventor and a trip to the dark web, the club keeps growing on and on, transforming into a self-aware malignant entity that takes over the city and eventually transports its inventor to the outer reaches of space, where Rod meets some interesting new friends from the planet Neptune.
The show is fun and yields its share of laughs, but there are stretches in this hour-plus production that really strain for funny. Director Denise Devin works it all on a bare stage with an affective assortment of props and an energetic cast of five (rounded out by Tosca Minotto, Elif Savas and Nick Salas). Of special note is the live music (and sound effects) provided by Waldkirch and Andrew Miller.
Zombie Joe’s Underground Theater, 4850 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood. Fri.-Sat. 8:30 pm; through April 5. Tickets. www.ZombieJoes.tix.com Running time 1 hour and 10 minutes with no intermission.
