By Gracey Murphy
Warm sand, surfing, and sun make the beach the perfect getaway. But what about adding split personalities?
Psycho Beach Party, opening at 7:30 p.m. Friday at the Iowa City Community Theater, mimics the comedy of a ’60s beach film with a sinister edge. A tomboy teen named Chicklet wants to learn how to surf. However, Chicklet has many split personalities, including a dominatrix who wants to take over the world.
“I love having such strikingly different parts for all the different scenes,” said Isabel Cody, who plays Chicklet. “I like being cute in one scene and then popping in as an alternate world dominating dominatrix in another scene. I mean, what could be more fun than that?”
Louis Doerge, though experienced in film work, will make his stage-directing début.
“Psycho Beach Party is sort of about duality and repression,” he said. “I think that’s why it’s set in the 1960s, because that’s a time that dealt with a lot of issues and it’s examined through a very comedic scope.”
To spruce the darker parts of Psycho Beach Party, Doerge emphasizes the humor concealed in drama.
To help with this new project, Doerge recruited his sister Hannah Doerge as stage manager.
“He highlighted what the audience would feel from such a dramatic tonal shift,” Hannah Doerge said. “Like, five minutes ago we’re having these ridiculous jokes that are just silly and funny, and then all of a sudden, we go to this really dark place.”
Some of the cast members said they indulge in the humor of the show, too. They have been rehearsing since September and have said the jokes numerous times, yet they are still amused.
“I’ve had more fun in this production that I ever have,” Cody said.
The characters are teens, but the cast are various ages. Louis Doerge was inspired by Wet Hot American Summer to experiment with age. As long as they are funny, the practicality of age doesn’t matter, he said.
“This play is so silly,” said Joe Kapp, playing Kanake. “I keep thinking we’re going to go over the top and be asked to pull it back; we have yet to be asked to pull it back.”
The abnormality makes it all there more humorous. The cast has been working hard to personify their characters. They are operating with strange roles and have been rooting for each other as the show comes together.
“I can feel myself tearing up because of the way that they are coming across,” said John Knopick, the actor playing Nikki. “This doesn’t feel like I’m here acting a part — I ’m living this.”
This show is relatable to teens, despite its taking place in the 1960s. The characters may have hysterical attributes, but the audience can still connect to their emotions. Like the character Starcat.
“Starcat is pretty realistic,” Kirk Sailor said. “He goes from being a semi-douchey beach bum to being the good guy. He’s realistic because a lot of people have different sides to them.”
Because comedy reigns for most of this show, the original production only used black boxes for scenery. Doerge is honoring this by using a minimalistic approach with scenery. The costumes, however, will stay true to the ’60s: bright and vintage.
“I want [the audience] to laugh more than anything,” Doerge said. “I want them to experience puppy-esque teenage emotions.”
THEATER
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Saturday, 2 p.m. Oct. 25
Where: Johnson County Fairgrounds, 4261 Oak Crest Hill, Exhibit Hall A
Tickets: $9-$17
