Audience members decide what happens next in ‘Peligro Island’
Milwaukee Youth Arts Center’s Goodman Hall has become more than just the place where First Stage performs shows for the littlest kids. In the past few years, artistic director Jeff Frank has also used it as the laboratory for storytelling-focused productions featuring strong teenage actors.
Like First Stage’s 2023 production of “The Hobbit” there, its new “Escape From Peligro Island” feels like a throwback to ancient, nimble forms of theater, relying on words and using simple props to create an imaginary world. (For intellectual backup, Frank can call on Wisconsin native Thornton Wilder, who thought theater lost its way when it tried to be too physically detailed and realistic on stage.)
But hey, I’m burying the lead here. Finegan Kruckemeyer’s “Escape From Peligro Island” is a create-yourown-adventure show. At a number of checkpoints, using color-coded playbill cards, audience members vote on what should happen next. During the audience talkback, a cast member said that, depending on audience decisions, they perform about 50 pages of script each night from the total of 200ish pages.
Friday’s opening performance was a spirited good time, with excited audience involvement amplifying the fun.
First Stage youth roles are double cast; we saw the Chance cast.
Young Callaway Brown (Vivian Madson) is flying across the ocean from Mom (Shammen McCune) to Dad (Matt Daniels) but gets caught up in mysterious airport intrigue and crash-lands on a tropical island. Teen performers Josie Van Slyke, Alice Rivera, Zach Church, Hannah Willis and Maryn Davis play ensemble characters while also serving as narrators who advance the story and occasionally comment on it — a pleasing touch of meta-humor is baked into this show.
Given this format, it would be unfair of me to give away plot details — and depending on audience votes, you might not even see the same plot I did. Suffice it to say, there were pirates, vampires, the crashing of a gala party and a few moments of rockin’ out.
As the slightly nebbishy Callaway Brown, Madson had the right touch, including the ability to communicate subtly, not always easy in these shows. Due to audience decisions, the appealing Rivera had lots of stage time as a romantic interest. I just hope she doesn’t have any claustrophobia.
Daniels brings his regal bearing and impeccable Juilliard training to a Tintin-ish variety of outrageous, highly entertaining conspirators and villains. We did not get to see enough of McCune, who was so wonderful in “The Hobbit.” But I have to assume that was a byproduct of audience storyline choices.