Avenue Q: Answered
Bunker King | Staff Writer
The Theater Department puts on an incredible rendition of Avenue Q.
The Santa Monica College’s (SMC) Theater Department’s rendition of Avenue Q is an impressive display of talent, and a must-see for anyone interested in shocking, unconventional art.
Avenue Q follows the intertwining stories of Princeton, Kate Monster, and their neighbors who live on Avenue Q. Princeton’s journey throughout the play is the story of a confused young adult looking for a purpose after graduating college. In contrast, Kate Monster has her hopes set on building a school for Monster Puppets that are unfairly discriminated against by humans and “regular” puppets. This is all humorously tangled up with the romantic ups and downs between Kate and Princeton. Through it all, the colorful cast led by Emma Howard as Kate Monster and MycKinnon Forsyth playing Princeton, brings the perfect amount of chaos to entertain the audience and teach the main characters some valuable lessons.
The stage appears well put together, especially considering the time constraints and resources they had. The stage technicians worked commendably in making the apartments on Avenue Q have a dingy and neglected look, while also giving them a lived-in feel. The scaffolding adds an impressive - and necessary - third dimension to the craft and direction, giving the neighborhood an eclectic and chaotic vibe that sets the tone for this raunchy Sesame Street-esque adventure.
The puppets are resourcefully cobbled together from materials found in previous productions and discount stores. Terrin Adair-Lynch, the play’s director and the puppet designer, showed off one of her puppets before the show. “It’s [wearing] butterfly wings that I had, these are oven mittens… The earrings I had for years.”
Avenue Q focuses on various topics, including gender politics, being true to oneself and race relations. It’s a lot to pack into a play featuring a song called “I’m Not Wearing Underwear Today,” but they pull it off.
Not everything in the musical is comical, however. “It’s a Fine, Fine Line” is a heartbreaking number performed beautifully by Howard. Her story and songs are messy, and complicated with emotions that are displayed with beautiful subtlety for someone performing with a puppet attached to her arm. Howard commented after the show,
“I’ve never done anything with puppets before… I’ve done a lot of musical theater, so doing it with a puppet is an added thing in my hand… That was a challenge.”
Forsyth expanded on the difficulties of working with puppets, “In a traditional play, you’re thinking about yourself, how the audience sees you, the gestures you make. It starts to change when you got the puppet on the hand because now you’re also thinking about can the audience see me, can they see the puppet? Am I making the accurate gestures, making the correct articulation, is the puppet also doing the same… It adds an interesting other element to the piece.”
The breakout star of the play is Trekkie Monster, played by Bryson Ellis. Trekkie is the kind of comic relief character that gets old quickly if not played perfectly. Ellis’s physicality, vocals, and stage presence match the energy and humor that Trekkie needs to thrive. When asked about the instantly iconic voice he had for Trekkie, Ellis said, “I already naturally have a crazy voice… It really took a lot of using my throat and putting gravel into my voice. It kind of came a little natural… I had the intention of going for Trekkie Monster… That was my number one role. I was looking for it.”
The song “The Internet is for Porn” perfectly captures the tone of Avenue Q. Sharply dressed students operating delightfully crafted puppets singing a song that hilariously lives up to its title. It’s the kind of cheap humor found in old internet forums, the likes of which Avenue Q both took heavy influence from and contributed to. It shouldn’t have worked at the time, but against the odds, the humor still holds up 20 years after its release with a sharp script as its foundation and pitch-perfect direction.
The inclusion of the song "The More You Ruv Someone" in the production was a daring choice. In the performance, actress Juliet Evans, taking on the role of Christmas Eve, delivers a pronounced and stereotypical Japanese accent. The portrayal raises questions about racial sensitivity, leaning towards elements that some may deem as perpetuating racial tropes. This deliberate artistic decision, while controversial, aligns with the thematic exploration found in the musical number "Everyone’s A Little Bit Racist," showcasing Avenue Q's propensity for addressing societal issues through its unique and provocative lens.
Avenue Q is a musical that works when every piece is played to the absolute highest level, and every actor gives their all. You don’t need a Broadway budget or decades of experience. The SMC Theater department proves with their performance that they can take great and challenging material and not only hold their own, but thrive at it.
It’s hard not to go through every song and every actor to heap praise on them, but the best endorsement is a straightforward encouragement to experience the play firsthand. The production runs until December 10th at Main Stage on SMC’s main campus, and it's an opportunity not to be missed.
