There may be funnier spoofs than Evil in Justiceberg, but I doubt if there have ever been more form-fitting costumes. They seem to be made of a gold fabric, probably spandex, that fits like a second skin. One is worn by the hero, Captain Justice (Tom Stell), with a dark goatee and strikingly blond hair, of which he is hugely protective and extraordinarily proud.
And they are worn by the beauteous Lady Legality (Autumn Woods), who might be a fitness model, as her elegant curves turn the gold spandex into a mesmerizing tribute to female sensuality. And the gold spandex is worn by Justice Lad (Karen Schlag), leaving no doubt that this lad is female. Did I mention that the costumes fit like a second skin?
A running gag is that the gay Sinister Boy (Robert Mesa) falls for Justice Lad, unaware of his (or her?) true genetic makeup, though, as you must know by now, there is ample visible evidence. (There's no quiz, no need to make notes.) Sinister Boy is apprentice-in-evil to Evil Von Evilstein (Jon Harvey), the archvillain, and there is a narrator (Ryan Kelly) who plays several roles, though he is given no scenery-chewing arias. The script is by Crash Buist, a believer in belaboring the obvious and throwing subtlety to the winds, but with the courage of a lion in having penned this comic-book parody.
In the ending. Evil Von Evilstein is hustled off to jail, uttering the famous line: "You haven't seen the last of me!" (I prayed this didn't mean a sequel was in the works.) Alone onstage in a touching finale, the mantle of evil falls on Sinister Boy, and he rises to the occasion as he is transformed by the power of evil into Sinister Man, determined to enslave the world. Actor Mesa nails this passage. In fact, all the acting is excellent, though the style, ably directed by Leighza Walker, is deadpan twirling of moustaches.
You can tell the good guys because they have these gold costumes and the bad guys wear black. And if you wear a full-superhero costume, admission is free. (I know you don't have one, but check the closet anyway.) And there are discounts for wearing a superhero T-shirt. Evil in Justiceberg from Big Head Productions continues through March 23 at 8 p.m. at Obsidian Art Space, 3522 White Oak, admission $20, with discounts for wearing costumes. For information or ticketing, call 832-889-7837 or contact www.obsidianartspace.org.
