Theater Review | Creepiness of 'Darko' translates well to stage
Four stars out of five
Hannah Ehrlich
Issue date: 11/5/07 Section: Arts
College students are of one of three minds concerning the movie "Donnie Darko" (2001): those who have seen it, and swear by it; those whose friends made them see it and don't know what the big deal is; and those who have never seen it and are sick of hearing people talk about it.
Despite any preconceptions of the movie, the theatrical version of "Donnie Darko" is worth the trip. Before seeing the play, it's a challenge to envision how something so cinematic might translate to the stage, but the show's producers succeed in making "Donnie Darko" no less strange, and no less compelling, on stage.
The story is based on the 2001 indie movie-turned-modern-cult-classic, which follows Donnie Darko (played by Dan McCabe), a teenage boy who must deal with school, a crazy family, his first girlfriend and the apocalypse.
The story begins as the responsibility to save the world falls on Donnie - literally falls on him - in the form of a jet engine that crashes into his bedroom. The event incites a month of soul-searching and painful adolescent moments made only stranger by the presence of Grandma Death and Frank, a hallucinatory bunny.
That's the setup, and it's hard to say where the story goes from there. Part satire and part surrealist, "Donnie Darko" captures the intersection of blasting Pepsi commercials and tangent universes, making the audience hyper-aware of the oddity of suburban life.
What makes the stage version of "Donnie Darko" so compelling is the continuity that the medium affords. There is an inherent organization to film - scenes begin and scenes end. The play version of "Donnie Darko" breaks through that organization with scenes that overlap and slide together, allowing characters to linger onstage long after they have delivered their lines.
In one key moment, for example, Donnie has a conversation with Frank while the rest of his English class remains onstage, swaying in their seats. Later, Donnie is in his therapist's office while on the other side of the stage his mother sits alone, drinking.
Despite any preconceptions of the movie, the theatrical version of "Donnie Darko" is worth the trip. Before seeing the play, it's a challenge to envision how something so cinematic might translate to the stage, but the show's producers succeed in making "Donnie Darko" no less strange, and no less compelling, on stage.
The story is based on the 2001 indie movie-turned-modern-cult-classic, which follows Donnie Darko (played by Dan McCabe), a teenage boy who must deal with school, a crazy family, his first girlfriend and the apocalypse.
The story begins as the responsibility to save the world falls on Donnie - literally falls on him - in the form of a jet engine that crashes into his bedroom. The event incites a month of soul-searching and painful adolescent moments made only stranger by the presence of Grandma Death and Frank, a hallucinatory bunny.
That's the setup, and it's hard to say where the story goes from there. Part satire and part surrealist, "Donnie Darko" captures the intersection of blasting Pepsi commercials and tangent universes, making the audience hyper-aware of the oddity of suburban life.
What makes the stage version of "Donnie Darko" so compelling is the continuity that the medium affords. There is an inherent organization to film - scenes begin and scenes end. The play version of "Donnie Darko" breaks through that organization with scenes that overlap and slide together, allowing characters to linger onstage long after they have delivered their lines.
In one key moment, for example, Donnie has a conversation with Frank while the rest of his English class remains onstage, swaying in their seats. Later, Donnie is in his therapist's office while on the other side of the stage his mother sits alone, drinking.
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