Revenge of the Poisoned Ladies

Revenge of the Poisoned Lady and The Victim 
Reviewed by Anthony Sanford Jr.
 
After watching the double feature presented by the five member Live Action Cartoonists ensemble, dinner tables will never quite be the same. The show is two delightfully comedic horror tales

 told with a myriad of storytelling’s finest tools woven into one amusing performance. From audience participation to cross-dressing, the play will keep you thoroughly engaged and undoubtedly wanting more.
 
Poisoned Lady begins with a nice theatrical set up that prepares you for the pleasurable journey ahead. The story is taken from Kabuki theatre and tells the tale of a young girl in love with a married man. Her grandfather will stop at nothing to get the husband’s wife out of the way of his granddaughter’s happiness. He sees to the wife’s demise in a two-fold plan. In true Japanese form, however, the poisoned wife manages revenge despite a comic  turn of events. This first feature utilizes stylized performance in a way that allows the story to unfold smoothly.
 
In The Victim, two old ladies tell a tale of a lovesick man defending his coquettish fiancée from alluring solicitors. He defends his woman’s honor to the death of the suitors. This story effectively marries puppets and actors. In fact, they weave together so well that you won’t be able to imagine the show performed without either component. This story ends perfectly (as does the show) but you’ll have to see it to appreciate it.
 
The segue between features is a nice interactive audience game that fits well into the night’s line up. To add, the use of multimedia visuals and the enhancing soundtrack make this dinner table theatre experience an exciting event that compels you to suspend your disbelief and add new tales to your repertoire of campfire stories. Notice the lighting. It is especially noteworthy and helps the energy of the set. It definitely adds to the ambience of the evening. See the show to see the collaborative forms of storytelling used masterfully. Who knew there were so many possibilities with a table on a stage!
 
Running time: 55 minutes

• Tickets:  Revenge of the Poisoned Ladies
• Remaining Shows:  Fri, July 18 at 8 . Sat, July 19 at 8 . Thurs, July 24 at 8 . Fri, July 25 at 8 . Sat, July 26 at 8
• Where:  Corduroy Restaurant, 1122 9th Street NW