The Wong Kids in the Secret of the Space Chupacabra Go! Ellen Stewart Theatre at La MaMa E.T.C. (see Off Broadway). By Lloyd Suh. Directed by Ralph B. Peña and Jack Tamburri. With ensemble cast. Running time: 1hr 30mins. No intermission.
The Wong Kids: In brief
Ma-Yi Theater Company joins forces with Minneapolis's Children's Theatre Company to present a kid-friendly adventure tale, in which a pair of Asian-American kids harness their unimpressive superpowers to fight a sinister creature bent on destroying the universe. Ma-Yi leader Ralph B. Peña and Jack Tamburri codirect.
The Wong Kids: Theater review by Raven Snook
Imagine if the Wonder Twins had no Super Friends, constantly bickered, and were totally unpopular and insecure. Those are the Wong Kids, stars of The Wong Kids in the Secret of the Space Chupacabra Go!, Lloyd Suh’s geektastic sci-fi comedy presented by the lauded Asian-American Ma-Yi Theater Company. One action-packed day, the title siblings (Alton Alburo and Sasha Diamond, both awesome) discover their “lame” powers (they can move rocks, sorta), learn that Earth is under attack by the evil space chupacabra and train to save humanity with two goofy gurus (Matthew Gunn Park and Curran Connor, hilarious in multiple roles).
Cocreated with Minneapolis’s Children’s Theatre Company, the show is full of inspired low-tech effects (disco-ball planets, seat-shaking sound design, a show-tune-crooning Bunraku dragon puppet) and completely family-friendly. But any grown-up who still reads comics should be psyched to go on this inventive theatrical adventure.—Theater review by Raven Snook
THE BOTTOM LINE: Geeky siblings save the world in this family-friendly joyride.