tweet review - #mnfringe show 6 - Two Stars In The Vast Dark: haven't quite figured out what's going on in this whimsical sci-fi musical/concept album yet; performers are amusing; if you like the The Mountain Goats sound, you'll love it; if you don't, could be a long 45 minutes - 3.5 stars
When a fellow Fringer and I emerged from Theatre in the Round after seeing Two Stars In The Vast Dark, he leaned over and said, “If I were still blogging I’d probably say something like, ‘Less of a play, more of a concept album?” I think I mostly agree with that sentiment, though certainly neither of us are impugning the virtues of a good concept album. Love a good concept album. Two Stars In The Vast Dark has a bit more of a plot than most concept albums, but only a bit. (Oh wait, I just went to their Fringe show page to double check the names of the cast and it actually says this started out as an idea for a concept album. Hilarious. So, not a bad instinct. The show is showing its roots.)
“But we’ve no need for greed, my love.
The earth and sea provide.”
In the future, Ezra (Theo Leverenz) is working as a long haul space trucker and they and their electronic companion the BARD system (Charlotte Grey) are about to lose contact with home base on earth and cross into deep space - at which point Ezra is supposed to go into a hibernation state for six months and then wake up when the spaceship gets close to its destination to drop off the cargo. Then they turn right around and do the same thing in reverse to return home.
“Minor job dissatisfaction detected.”
The one thing that I never got clarity on was - what exactly is the BARD system? Is it the disembodied voice of the ship’s computer system or is it a robot? Because onstage, the BARD system is represented by the form of Charlotte wearing a snappy silver space dress and pink hair in a bob, often picking up an acoustic guitar and expressing itself in song. Just as I’d convinced myself the actor was merely a metaphor, not the literal form of the BARD system, toward the very end of the show it needed a supportive hug, and Ezra embraced the system as if it was a humanoid, and not a big clunky machine secured to the wall of the spaceship. So I was a bit confused throughout, and never really got a clear idea of what half of the cast of the show was supposed to be doing.
“It’s so exciting and terrifying - being aware.”
Now, are all those many songs a lot of fun to listen to? For me, yes, but I like the Mountain Goats, which is a very particular rough-hewn kind of vocalizing that’s not everyone’s jam. As I said above, if you like that indy folk/rock sound, then you are their target audience. If not, then you might find stretches of this show less entertaining than the rest of us do. If you’re not sure, I’d say give it a try.
“Your tears couldn’t stop me,
Your gifts couldn’t stop me.”
The irony and satire in the world-building of this future society is amusing. The two characters are fun to learn about and spend time with. Do they really have anything like a character arc, ending up in a different place at the end than they did at the beginning, was there growth or change or an obstacle overcome? Sort of but not really. And it seems like the show isn’t concerned with making any kind of point so much as it’s creating a particular experience for the audience to sit in and contemplate for a little while. (Maybe we, too, have been set adrift in space to think about life and purpose and eternity - all the same, also not to take ourselves too seriously.)
“Beacon lights on stormy seas.”
Two Stars In The Vast Dark is its own genre of Fringe show - part science fiction, part musical, all original. If you’re looking for something different, this show definitely fits the bill.
3.5 Stars - Highly Recommended
Here's some handy links to a rundown of 5 and 4.5 Star shows I've seen this year, also the 4 and 3.5 Star shows, and the rest, plus this year's Top 10 list, and Top 11-20 List, and the full list of all returning favorites in the 2023 Fringe, plus a link to all the 2023 Minnesota Fringe Festival coverage.
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