Ironhead: Quest for the Ring of the Dark Evil Lord of Evil Darkn
Ironhead: Quest for the Ring of the Dark Evil Lord of Evil Darkness
Written by Marcie Schwalm
Directed by Christian Kelty
Starring Chris Prueitt, Josh Geoghagan, Sarah Lockard, and Andrew Bushwitz
Quiet Desperation Productions
Pink Venue, 2010 Orlando International Fringe Festival,Orlando, FL </strong>
This show rolled a 17, so I give it 15 hit points, minus 3 on defense, and a 2 level boost in silliness. Derek (Geoghagan) and his buds have been gaming on Tuesdays since Gary Gygax was a freshman, but now at long last adulthood had attacked. Unto Derek a child shall be born, so he feels a need to focus on reality, disappointing Dio (Prueitt) and Marta (Lockard). How could a wife and family tear apart their gaming world? A new member, Eagan ((Bushwitz), arrives to complicate things. He’s a young n0oB with a Harry Potter fascination and as we all know new = bad. He has trouble with group acceptance until everyone is transported into the game by the curse of a vintage TSR monster manual. Marta takes on a chain mail breast plate and a dwarvish beard, Teagan gets round eyeglasses and a VERY small wand, and Derek re-claims his ferrous helmet, and as Iron Head (clang!) he must lead his band in battle against the Redundancy of the Dark Lord. Teagan is tested, Marta nearly molested, and the Dark Lord is bested. If nothing else, it’s alliterative
Props are cheesy but the action flows like fake blood. Knowing a bit about games really helps in getting the jokes; afterwards a few people told me they didn’t “get” it. Understanding why killing an NPC or why a seedy barkeep tires of telling passing adventures where the treasure helps, but most everybody will feel a chill when the Gelatinous Cube attacks or the beach ball and paper Marcie eyeball monster rampages. Kevin Sigman narrates with a $3 Barbie ukulele, and the accessory Gods and Monsters come from Marcie Schwalm and Cory Boughton. This game-centric comedy has more laughs than you ever got on the playground.
This event is part of the 2010 Orlando International Fringe Festival. For schedule and ticket information, please visit http://OrlandoFringe.org
