by JESSICA SAnTInA
NERGY CUSTOMERS E V N
Don’t Miss Out On This Exclusive Offer Phyllida (Ariana Cramer), the first woman allowed in The Explorers Club, presents Luigi (Mason Volkes), an exotic member of the NaKong Tribe.
Hen in the fox house
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scientist and religious fanatic—isn’t so sure he wants the sinful sex sullying his inner sanctum. As Phyllida regales the men with tales of the NaKong people—their propensity to eat toad boiled in urine, that they worship a god shaped like a spoon—and has Luigi In a week in which women took to the (Mason Volkes) demonstrate his newfound streets to assert their power, Sparks’ new domestication, the men (except Sloane) theater company, Restless Artists’ Theatre, are suitably impressed. But when Luigi’s opened Explorers Club, Nell Benjamin’s introduction to the queen does not go as hilarious take on the old refrain: Anything planned, silliness, chaos and a case of you can do, I can do better. mistaken identity ensue. Her main character, Phyllida SpotteAlthough forward-thinking in its ideas Hume (played by Ariana Cramer), certainly about women, the show plays havoc with can. While the distinguished members of some stereotypes and in that sense isn’t the Explorers Club in 1879—all men—were politically correct. The notion of the savage busy studying plants and animals, safe in tribe, the other, with its people who behave the comfy lounge of the club’s London in foolish ways, could headquarters, the intrepid potentially offend the Phyllida risked life and easily offended. limb to discover the lost It also feels at times city of Pahatlabong, as if the cast is performwhere she encountered ing more for themselves a tribe of blue-skinned than the audience—that savages, the NaKong. Restless Artists’ Theatre, 295 20th St., they’re in on a joke the Sparks, presents Explorers Club Jan. 26-29 She learned their rest of us missed. and Feb. 2-5. Visit www.rattheatre.org. language, studied their But it’s also a sweet, habits, and even brought silly escape, funny from one she calls Luigi home to meet the queen. beginning to end. Then, club member and botanist Lucius Volkes’ portrayal of Luigi is comic Fretway (Cody Canon), approaches the genius. It’s done almost entirely without members of this old boys’ club, over dialogue, using gestures, facial expressions brandy and cigars, about approving Phyllida and a series of grunts, which manage to hit as the club’s first female member. their comedic targets every time. I hesitate Professor Cope (James Miller), who is to give away my favorite bit of the show, weirdly obsessed with snakes and wears but the gymnastics involved in Luigi’s one around his neck at all times, and bartending scene are like something out of Professor Walling (Cody McDougall), who a well-choreographed episode of The Three studies guinea pigs and—unfortunately— Stooges, and are just as memorable. carries one around with him as if to taunt Ultimately, the point is that while Cope, are open to Lucius’ idea. So is Sir Phyllida certainly has earned a spot in the Harry Percy (Tommy Vereen), just back Explorers Club by banging down its door, from his ridiculous expedition to discover the club simply may not be good enough the “East Pole,” but mostly Percy just for her. Some of the slapstick feels like relishes the opportunity to ogle a woman. old-fashioned, ovrblown vaudeville, but it’s But archeo-theologist Professor Sloane always funny. That’s why Explorers Club is (Gary Cremeans)—that rare combination of definitely a comedy worth discovering. Ω
Explorers Club
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