Cuckoo’s Theater Project Presents BARBECUE APOCALYPSE Review – Calamity Comedy

Where There’s Smoke There’s Fire

Matt Lyle’s play has a plot structure that many will find fascinating. The first act is a one scene set-up of sorts, where you meet Deb and Mike, a slightly dysfunctional couple just making their way through modern suburbia. Then there’s Mike’s old friend Win, a grade-A egomaniac you might catch reading Ayn Rand in a business class, and his girlfriend Glory, a bright-eyed actress with Rockette dreams. Lastly you’ll see Ash and Lulu, a truly millennial couple, one with a Twitter addiction, and the other with a more alcoholic one. These zany six collide and combat, not hearing police sirens over their banter. Now here’s where things get interesting. The second act mirrors the first in beats and action, but the group is now scavenging and scraping together life post-apocalypse. The effects of the disaster on the various characters are fun explorations and expansions on several modern stereotypes. Though this viewer found the play somewhat dated and loose with its references, fans of Last Man on Earth or Anne Washburn’s play Mr. Burns will be drawn in by Lyle’s take.

Cuckoo’s Theatre Project Understudy Blends With Ease

The particular night of this show featured an understudy going on for one of the leads. Seamus McMahon took on the role of Win (the aforementioned tool), and played him with vigor. Win does a lot in the show, including fight choreography, several one on one scenes, and some of the big moments in the show. Despite this, if there wasn’t a notice given about McMahon taking on the role, you wouldn’t have pegged him as the understudy in the first place. McMahon fit with the ensemble and was on the same level of performance as they were the entire time, which goes to show that there is some true dedication and work being done by everyone in the production.