Ready Player Fun

BY JENI RUISCH PHOTOS PROVIDED BY TERRY GILLIAM

The critics of old who deigned to acknowledge video games as media dismissed them as a vehicle for violence and isolation. How wrong they have been proven. How utterly surprised they would be to glimpse into the future and see those same pixelated characters portrayed on a stage, in a musical production meant to bring generations together—all personified by a surprising new cohort of theater kids who have found heart and soul in their quests, story arcs, and sidekicks.

In Press Start! An 8-Bit Musical, CATCO is Kids has brought 21 Central Ohio youngsters together to bring to life some of the most memorable characters of kids’ video games from the last several decades. Or rather, versions of them which we will all recognize (without having to pay the hefty trademark fees…) Marco and Lorenzo the plumbers, Speedy the Hedgehog, Princess Pomegranate, and a host of other slightly askew heroes and heroines. These are versions of recognizable people and creatures, not from a single game or even gaming system world, but Nintendo and Sega characters from an era of animation and action that will bring back memories for the adults who attend the play. This jaunt through nostalgia hopes to teach a moral lesson to kids, and strike a nostalgic tone with mom and dad.

The Columbus Equity theater, now celebrating its 35th year, rests the premise of the play on the philosophical question: ‘Can only heroes be heroes?’ In this story, the famous characters have run out of lives, and decide to put on a musical to raise gold rings for their cause. But things go hilariously sideways, and the traditional sidekick, quiet Little Mushroom, must look inside itself and find the heart of a hero in order to beat the figurative final boss.

The imaginative spin comes not from the portrayal of 80s and 90s video game characters conveniently timed such that their original child audience now has kids of their own, but in the meta-state of the performance itself. The audience of the musical sitting in the theater is ultimately a part of the production itself, as audience members unwittingly become the captive attendees of the fictional fundraiser.

The involvement develops on multiple levels as, like in a video game, the audience has myriad opportunities to become involved and influence the outcome of the show. Unlike adult-oriented theater, where kids can feel stifled and forced to sit and be quiet, this active format encourages the energy feedback loop that is often implicit in live theater, but out of reach for little ones.

To further enhance the experience, there is a kids’ play guide available for parents. This guide can familiarize kids with the characters and provide a framework for parents to contextualize the characters and actions their kiddos will be seeing onstage. In this way, parents can help kids internalize the messages from the production, and help them to bring the lessons home. CATCO is Kids even has a sensory-friendly performance available for a neurodiverse crowd. In this performance, the entire theater experience is modified to allow for an accessible experience for those with different social and sensory needs. Inclusivity is the name of the game both within the worlds of the play, where the characters must look within themselves to decide if they can be the heroes they need; and in the theater, where a new audience will be integrated into the 8-bit world, and the heroes and lessons within it. •