This is one of the few plays where saying that the characters acted stiffly and had wooden dialogue comes off as a complement. Adventure Quest (written by Richard Lovejoy and directed by Adam Swiderski) takes us on a colorful journey back to the old text-based games of the 80s and early 90s, where a hero walks around to different screens and interacts with various people and objects by talking and exchanging items. You get to relive the perils in full 8-bit glory, complete with original cheesy synth tunes, bitmapped backdrops and a robotic narrator.
Since this is a game, you can even try to guess what the protagonist will do to overcome his next challenge. You will rarely be correct, however, as the solutions are often increasingly wacky and nonsensical (you’ll never guess how they end up using that fish!). Eventually, the confusion takes a serious toll on our hero, and he begins questioning his purpose in life, and that’s when the story crosses over from pure silliness to much darker humor. The play provides a great blend of nostalgic charm, comedy, romance, mystery and sadness as random characters begin dying off.
From a technical standpoint, this play is quite demanding, as there are hundreds of scene changes as the hero bounces from screen to screen, trying to get the most out of his limited selection of items. There are also a myriad of different sound effects and background updates as points increase and he gets closer to the main villain. The program booklet provides a detailed and entertaining account of the hero’s life before play begins. And it’s a sheer delight to watch as NPCs (non-player characters) emulate their computer counterparts in every way possible.
I highly recommend this show to everyone. It’s a must for those who has suffered through impossibly difficult adventure games of years past and also for all brave soldiers who have fought to break free from the status quo.
(Photos by Kimberly Craven.)
Adventure Quest runs at the Brick Theater as part of their Gameplay Festival. Performance dates are July 10, 11, 20, 24 and 25, all at 8pm. Purchase tickets.
Andrew Singer performs all over the NYC as comedic rapper “soce, the elemental wizard.” He has toured Europe and the U.S., and been featured on numerous media outlets, including MTV, VH1, Here TV, Logo, The Source, Out, Howard Stern and Sirius Shade 45. His music is available on iTunes.
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