ARIZONA THEATRE COMPANY GIVES ITS NEW PLAY AN IMAGINATION-STETCHING LOOK OF FUTURE POSSIBILITIES

 

photo by Tim Fuller

Atmosphere is everything in Arizona Theatre Company's high-tech, fast-paced jewel thief saga "Heist," the play that plays like a movie.

 

No one said anything at the time, but the computerizing of special effects in movies over the last couple of decades has created a present-day cinema experience chock full of superheroes with incredible super powers that have virtually no connection to actual human beings whatsoever.

Haven't you ever thought “I'd enjoy theater a lot more if those stage plays were more like movies?”

Well, somebody thought of it because now Arizona Theatre Company has opened “Heist,” where actual actors give performances that blend high-tech special stage effects straight into the conventional downtown setting at the Temple of Music and Art.

ATC's own artistic director Matt August has put all this magical tech together, stirring in video imagery with wraparound sound, wraparound lighting and other startling stage effects that probably don't even have names yet.

So if you want a glimpse today of what tomorrow's theatrical productions will look like, see “Heist.”

Maintaining a tight fit between splashy technology and tense human feelings is the tricky part and August keeps everything on stage poppin'! If you like the idea of seeing theater without boundaries, you want to be here.

There are plenty of more or less conventional scenes where the actors talk to each other, but there are just as many more where the actors talk directly to the audience. That fourth wall gets broken so often it starts feeling more like a backyard fence between good neighbors.

The “Heist” cast of six all look to be about the same age – 23 ½ – dressed in the daytime casual street clothes of        present-day New York City.

Matthew Floyd Miller plays Marvin, the presumed leader of this ambitious gang of do-it-yourself jewel thieves. Valerie Perri is called The Spider, who attracts their attention with her jeweled possessions.

There is a tightly twisted and ever-tricky plot, although the point of “Heist” is more about the total stage experience. Basically getting the gang together comes first, then a failed jewelry heist that tests the members trust of each other, setting up the denouement.

Canadian playwright Arun Lakra provides clever and humorous dialogue to carry the story along.

Equally important in this elaborate presentation are the scenic designer James Noone, lighting designer Mike Billings, sound designer and original music composer Daniel Perelstein Jacuette and costume designer Kish Finnegan.

Completing the cast are Jessica Fishenfeld as Angie, Ethan Henry as Kruger, Brandon Ruiter as Ryan and Jynx Zavala as Fiona.

Performances of “Heist” continue through Dec 20 in the Temple of Music and Art, 330 S. Scott Ave. The run time is two hours, including intermission. For details and reservations, visit www.atc.org