Prototype 373-G

• Prototype 373-G  
  Reviewed by Anthony Sanford Jr.
   
  What does a spur of the moment engagement, a ring master in a mental hospital, a giant turtle, and pregnancy have in common? Prototype 373-G. It’s a fable that appears to be just a little out of the ordinary and ends up being way off the planet. With its stand-up comedy dialogue, Prototype is definitely entertaining.
   
  Reminiscent of Little Shop of Horrors without the music, Prototype 373-G is an amusing story about an alien turtle determined to take over the world for his queen by breeding a young stand-up comedian on the rise. In the interim, the young lady is having severe love issues but faces the world with her pet. She almost has a breakdown but as her once committed neighbor says, “People don’t break.” So, instead of breaking down, she takes charge of her life despite the hell around her.

The show is pretty entertaining because of its plot alone. In fact, it’s amazing how all the pieces are sewn together. The thread is a continuous battle of stand-up comedy that actually works well for the show. The giant turtle is worth the journey just to see him grow and coo. 
 
The mental hospital is used as a clever knot between scenes but the in-the-moment, out-of-the-moment sequences tend to slightly drop the energy of the play. The actors, however, have no problem picking it up again. As far as performance goes, the actors really commit to this crazy world! Dan Pruksarnukul has done a great job in orchestrating the actual scenes. Despite the avant-garde nature of the story, you’ll have no problem tuning in and following the wacky plot. Crafts Action League did a superb job on the costumes. 

You’ll enjoy the tongue-in-cheek humor. The opening may make you think that the show is pretty mild, but trust me, things get out of hand. I promise that you’ll laugh at least once per scene. Even if tongue-in-cheek isn’t your thing, this play wears on you until you laugh; it has the right touch of real and fantastical worlds. The jokes come from unexpected roads and the turtle is cooler than you can imagine.

• Running time: 65 minutes
• Tickets:  Prototype 373-G
• Remaining Shows:  Sat, July 19 at 4 . Wed, July 23 at 5:30 . Sat, July 26 at 1 . Sun, July 27 at 4:30
• Where:  Source, 1835 14th Street NW