Assassins, cults, and the undead take center stage in The James Theater’s latest production, “Once Upon a Time in the People’s Republic of Johnson County.”
The play, set against the backdrop of a decaying Iowa City, blends humor and social commentary while following a ragtag group of survivors desperate to cling to the last shreds of civilization.
After two hours of nonstop zombie action, I can confidently say this show is worth seeing.
The beating heart of this play is the relationship between married couple Mark and Beth — two people struggling to preserve the original writing and artwork that once made Iowa City the “Athens of the Midwest.”
Mark, portrayed by Thomas Cox, is an older man who has spent 40 years of his life working as a librarian in Iowa City prior to the zombie apocalypse. Now, he finds himself trying to save as much of his beloved literature as possible. Cox portrays the complex, quiet strength behind his character.
The highlight of his performance came at the beginning of the second act, when Cox delivered a nearly 20-minute monologue detailing Mark’s past. The monologue marks one of the play’s more serious moments as Mark reflects on how life in Iowa City used to be during his childhood and how society wasn’t always as “progressive” as it seemed.
Alongside Mark is his wife Beth, who is played by Kate Goehring. Before the apocalypse, Beth was a high school guidance counselor who was let go shortly before seeing her first zombie.
Throughout the play, viewers are treated by seeing Beth dispatch zombie after zombie, finally discovering her calling. Beth’s character came to life on stage, and Goehring did a great job portraying Beth’s enduring love for her husband.
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Other characters, including Rachel Howell’s Donna Bishop, William Goblirsch Jr.’s Bill Buxton, and Cianon Jones’ Gina Cornell each receive moments to shine during the production and bring their complicated points of view to the zombie apocalypse.
Among the show’s villains are the members of an extremist religious cult intent on burning books that promote what they consider dangerous ideas.
Patrick DuLaney gives a compelling performance as Reverend Bob Swartzendruber, who is the leader of the “Rat Catchers,” a group dedicated to exterminating anyone they deem unfit to live in their new version of humanity. His acting is on point, and at times, it actually feels as if he is delivering a sermon to the audience and not just to the characters in the play.
In addition to the clever characters and storyline, the show has no shortage of comedy. Humor is sprinkled throughout the runtime, giving the audience time to sit back and laugh. The jokes rarely fell flat, and many held relevance to the modern day.
One of my favorite moments of humor was in the reappearance of one of the zombies, who proudly sported a shirt with the words “Not Dead Yet” printed on it.
Another shining moment in the play was the inclusion of the audience in the production. At times, actors would run over to the first two rows of the audience to give them props or ask them questions about the show. This gave the show a touch of improv that made each situation more unique.
“Once Upon a Time in the People’s Republic of Johnson County” will be at the James Theater until Sept. 15.