Poster for The Intergalactic Nemesis – Target Earth. Art by Tim Doyle.
An intrepid reporter. Her faithful assistant. A mysterious stranger. Aliens. Time travel. Mind control. These are just some of the elements that make up The Intergalactic Nemesis. After starting life as a radio drama, The Intergalactic Nemesis became a graphic novel, and finally a live hybrid of the two forms. The result of the mash-up is unlike anything you’re likely to see elsewhere in theatre.
The stage show is based on book one of the series, Target Earth. Set in 1933, it tells the story of Molly Sloan, Pulitzer-winning reporter, as she and her aide, Timmy Mendez, chase down another big story. Along the way they meet Ben Wilcott, a librarian from Flagstaff, AZ, who may or may not also be completely insane. With Ben’s help, Molly and Timmy uncover a plot to destroy the earth – as well as some things about themselves that they never knew before.
The story feels familiar, but writer Jason Neulander employs plenty of little convention twists that keep things interesting. Molly and Timmy are clearly from the molds of Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen, and you may think you know Ben Wilcott’s secret because of that, but the truth is even better. There’s a classic, Republic Serials-style villain in the form of Mysterion the Magnificent, and all of Molly and Timmy’s contacts would be right at home in an Indiana Jones adventure. Timmy’s ultimate role in the story is itself quite a twist on the ‘hapless sidekick’ part one might expect him to play.
Actors David Higgins, Danu Uribe, and Christopher Lee Gibson. Photo courtesy of The Planet Zygon.
Presented in a different way, this story would still be highly entertaining. The presentation as a radio drama, though, takes it to a whole other level. Three actors – Danu Uribe, David Higgins, and Christopher Lee Gibson – play dozens of characters, from the three leads to aliens and robots. Their voices help to sell the feel of the show as a ‘30s radio drama. Danu Uribe as Molly Sloan is a fast-talking His Girl Friday, and David Higgins has just the right amount of squeak in his voice as Timmy Mendez.
The workhorse of the vocal cast is Gibson, who voices Ben Wilcott, Mysterion, all of Molly and Timmy’s contacts, and a few other sizeable speaking parts. Gibson gives each character his own distinct personality, employing accents to great effect for several of them. A less skilled actor might falter under the weight of so many characters, particularly in scenes where two of those characters are yelling at and fighting with each other. The fact all three actors, and Gibson in particular, can shift back and forth mid-conversation between multiple characters is spectacular.
The full stage, including the voice cast, foley artist Cami Alys, pianist Kenneth Redding Jr, and art by Tim Doyle. Photo courtesy of The Planet Zygon.
Not to be outdone by the voice actors is Cami Alys, the foley artist who provides all of the sound effects for the show. The stage is laid out so that Alys is front and center, with all of her props set out on tables for her. Constantly moving pieces around in preparation, from cinder blocks to electric fans to body-sized pieces of sheet metal, the view allows the audience to see just how hard she works. Alys never let it look like work, though. She knew where everything was and she never missed a beat. Accompanying music from live pianist Kenneth Redding Jr. rounds out the experience.
The final star of the show is the art by graphic novel artist Tim Doyle. Projecting panels from the graphic novel onto a screen above the performers, the audience can follow the visual action of the story as if they’re reading the book themselves. The projected art removes the word balloons and captions, so the performers are still providing all of that information, but being able to visualize things like alien machinery and robot planets helps ground the listener in the world of the story. Doyle’s work captures the look of the era in which the story is set quite well, even when the action takes place off-world. His designs have a very ‘30s sensibility about them, which matches the desired effect perfectly.
If you have the opportunity to see The Intergalactic Nemesis, do yourself a favor and check it out. The show is currently touring the United States, and the radio drama of book two, Robot Planet Rising, recently made its premiere. The level of work that went into putting it together is evident in the production, and the artists performing the show are all highly skilled. The Intergalactic Nemesis is a theatre experience you won’t soon forget.
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Cami Alys Christopher Lee Gibson Danu Uribe David Higgins graphic novel Jason Neulander Kenneth Redding Jr. Radio drama review Target Earth The Intergalactic Nemesis Theatre Tim DoyleYou Might Also Like
