By Nate Brown
It was a crisp winter’s evening as I strode through downtown Midvale, Utah to the Midvale Performing Arts Center to watch the Off Broadway Theatre Company’s production of Star Ward.
Wait. Midvale? Don’t you mean downtown Salt Lake City? You know, just off Broadway?
Sadly no. In case you haven’t heard, the Off Broadway Theatre Company recently had to leave the location they’d been in for twenty-five years when their building was sold. The Midvale Performing Arts Center has given them a temporary home while they seek a new performance space.
Salt Lake City’s loss is Midvale’s gain.
Star Ward is a parody of the similarly-named “space western” that follows the story Princess Laman (Ashley Morales, also played by Jessica Benson) and Luke Singleswarder (Sebastian Smith). They seek to save the galaxy from the Sunstone and the evil duo of Darth Sinner (Matt Davids) and The Adversary (Eric Jensen). Along the way, characters from the original trilogy, subsequent movies, and even from a recent streaming series pop up to add to the fun.
Jensen has a supportive role in his parts as the Evil Emporer known as The Adversary and as Alien Guy, but he is the star of the show. Those familiar with the Off Broadway Theatre Company productions won’t be surprised by this. Jensen’s voice is clearly heard without needing to be loud, and his words are crisp and distinct. His comedic timing is impeccable, always giving the audience a chance to finish laughing – even when the punch line hasn’t come yet. Jensen’s stage presence draws the audience in with a feeling that not only are we going to laugh, but we’re going to be appreciated even as we are mocked. It is worth coming to see any Off Broadway Theatre Company show just to watch Jensen perform, and Star Ward is no exception.
Smith’s performance of Luke Singleswarder is athletic and a fun imitation of the original. With a pleasant mix of bravado and naiveté, Smith does a great job of being true to the character while playfully mocking Latter-Day Saint culture. There are a couple of physical reproductions of the original performance of Mark Hammil that are so accurate the audience cheers with amazement.
Every show needs someone for the audience to fall in love with, and Morales takes this responsibility in stride. Princess Laman is strong, determined, and vulnerable in this performance. Morales does an excellent job of combining the dual roles of rebel leader and “girl falling in love” in ways that are both funny and satisfying.
The duo of MTC-PO (Sam Ackerman) and CTR-2 (Morgan Thompson) are enjoyable to watch. Ackerman does an excellent job of combining a British accent and mannerisms with robotic emotional obliviousness. Thompson, despite having no lines in English, steals the show with her enthusiastic beeps and boops, and her transformation into the tiny robot is funny every time.
Other duos and trios are fun to follow in this production as well. Porter Solo (Scott Macdonald) and Wilford Wookiee (Nathan Davis) are rough-and-tumble rogues. Davids as Darth Sinner and Chris Kennedy as Briggum Kenobi play the diametrically opposed characters with tension and hilarious courtesy.
There are Mormtroopers. Mormtroopers! Played by Tonya Aikens, Sandy Jensen, and Erin Orr, these henchmen are oblivious and giddy in all the best of ways. The Jawa’s Witnesses and Andwoks (Dominick Chisholm, Gabe Chisholm, Holly Chisholm, Aubri Miller, Cameron Miller, Jonas Macdonald, Keenan Shafer) are adorable and provide a pleasant interruption at several points in the show.
Benson and Torin Scoffield deserve special recognition for the variety of roles they play, but two of those roles stand out. Benson’s Bubba Fetch has playful bravado and provides enjoyable comic moments. Scoffield’s characterization of Yoga is delightfully sage and mysterious…and also humorously short.
The direction by Eric Jensen was clean and clear but occasionally felt underehearsed, which will undoubtedly improve with subsequent performances. Stage management by Lucy Myers and Lee Wailes was prompt and seamless.
Sound and light by Rob Reins was consistent and unobtrusive. Most impressively, it rarely garnered any attention, serving to guide us emotionally without drawing our focus. Make-up artistry by Aimee McPhie (who also plays a beautifully-blue alien) is at a level notably more impressive than one usually expects for this level of theater production.
Perhaps the only criticism I have for this show is that so many characters have their lines muffled by their helmets. While the helmets are excellently crafted and are a choice addition to the overall atmosphere of the show, they also cause the audience to strain to make out the words. This frequently detracts from the humor and timing.
Star Ward is appropriate for all audiences and will be especially enjoyable for Star Wars enthusiasts. The fantastic costumes, projections, and puppetry will keep even young children entertained, though the runtime may be a bit long for children under five years old.
Come celebrate the rebirth of the Off Broadway Theatre Company in their production of Star Ward! Do or do not. There is no try.
The Off Broadway Theatre Company presents Star Ward by Paul and Patrick Gibbs
Midvale Performing Arts Center, 695 West Center St (7720 South) Midvale, Utah 84047
January 31-February 21, 2020 7:30 PM, Fri, Sat, Mon, Sat matinee 2:00 PM
Tickets: $10-$16
Contact Midvale Performing Arts Center: 385-313-0278
Contact Off Broadway Theatre: 801.355.4628
Midvale Performing Arts Facebook Page
The Off Broadway Theatre Facebook Page
Star Ward Facebook Event
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