Back in 1940 when Russell Stamm’s The Invisible Scarlet O’Neil first appeared on the pages of the Chicago Times as America’s first female superhero comic strip, the world was a very different place. But was it really that different after all? Barbara Lhota’s world premiere The Invisible Scarlet O’Neil takes us back to a time when women were struggling for equal status in the workplace, Russian agents and American crooks were scheming together to undermine our society, and the power of honest news reporting could change minds—and lives. And it wraps all all this up in a cloak of rip-roaring, gut-busting, thought-provoking adventure.
Babes With Blades’ Comic Strip Adaptation Shines on Stage
From the mosaic of screens laid out like the panels of a comic book on the upstage wall, to the onomatopoeic POWs and BAMs during the fight scenes, to the words THE END shining across at the final curtain, The Invisible Scarlet O’Neil joyfully leans into its roots in the funny papers. Chloe Baldwin serves as the backbone of the show in the title role, a plucky young woman determined to help people as a newspaper reporter. The exact nature of Scarlet’s power and how she ends up using it are a mix of clever action by Libby Beyreis, assisted by Chloe Baldwin; lighting by Meghan Erxleben; set design by Milo Bue; and direction by Leigh Barrett. Ironically, one would be best to see her “invisibility” to fully appreciate it!
Superficially, many of the characters may seem to fit into stock roles: the experienced reporter showing the newbie the ropes; the cigar-chomping editor-in-chief; the precocious kid; the cackling spy and bumbling lackey. Two things make these characters stand out from the crowded marketplace of costumed adventurers ubiquitous on screens big and small, however. For one, all of the actors give their roles real depth, whether it’s just a glimpse of the human being behind the archetype or a full exploration of their identity.
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