Blackwolf the Dragonmaster's Diary of Magecraft

Being a Chronicle of the Inner Secrets of, and Spells of Magick as Wielded by, the Philosopher of the Internet and Unofficial Sorcerer-in-Residence of the City of New York

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Location: New York, New York, United States

As New York's Unofficial Wizard, my mission is to encourage the Mortals of Manhattan to imagine responsibly!

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Theater for the New City's "Gone Fission, or: Alternative Power" --- Blackwolf Explores

Crystal Field and Mark Marcante always know how to experiment with live performance. Their Theater for the New City, based in the thickest part of St. Mark's Place in the Village, have been responsible for some of the quirkiest, avant-gardiest, most controversial stuff I've seen in aeons!

So when I was recently confronted with news of the Theater's annual Outdoor Street Theater Tour, at first I wondered what adventures they had in mind this year. Probably little to write home about. Well, that immediately changed after I added Mark as a Facebook friend.

The new production is called Gone Fission, or: Alternative Power. It begins with a just recently fired accounting executive who has just been hired to serve as a Census Taker. After visiting several Manhattan apartments, he takes a side trip to the aptly named Neptune's Diner --- where, with a little bit of magic, the place is revamped into a Louisiana Bayou. There, King Neptune himself presides over a Town Hall Meeting with his loyal undersea subjects.

While counting is what our hero has been assigned to accomplish, he realizes that listening is also important --- and through song, dance, musical comedy, and the obligatory power ballad, he rediscovers Mankind's role in the vast web of this Life. He learns, too, that there are alternatives to empire building and global domination. (Somehow, it's been a tradition of Crystal's to conclude her musicals with a brotherhood-style message of hope and understanding.) Now, based on the photos I've seen from the first stop of the tour alone, I can say with some assurance that this show is destined to knock 'em off their rocker; more to the point, I don't think you'll have one dry eye after hearing the sea creatures sing "We Are the People of the Sea."

Their next scheduled performance is this coming Sunday, right next to Bethesda Fountain, at the Naumberg Bandshell in Central Park. Your Dragonmaster intends to be there, hopefully to cheer ol' Neptune on, and to listen in to what this wonderful performance has to say. By Merlin's beard, I can't wait!