Battlemasters Presents Cthulhu Cthursdays: Theatre of the Macabre - Review
By Oona O'Leary
Tommy Reahard and Eric Schinzer are not kidding around when they welcome you to the Theatere of the Macabre. As two minions of H.P. Lovecraft’s best known octo-demon Cthulhu*, the opening – we’re all terrible people! We’re here for Cthulhu! A trip down the Astral Plane to meet the dark lord! – sets up the framing device to house their sketches. But this time they double down on that message with all of their sketches inspired by the worst of humanity (vengeful CEOs, overhyped magicians, teenage girls), transitioning between scenes as if pulled into other dimensions, and playing Top 40 pop music whenever possible. They’re also two dudes who are very good at dumb jokes. For all the ridiculousness, both are great actors and play each scene with commitment and honesty, making them memorable, like Reahard’s paraplegic motivational speaker who suffered a gypsy curse car accident or Schinzer’s slow build to the Sad Clown trope.
The show gets weirder still, which I really love. Thanks to the inter-dimensional set-up by the end the sketches themselves start to break apart: a man performs a really terrible stand-up act about his stroke, during which he is pushed in and out of consciousness (Q: is this what it’s like to figuratively die on stage or is he having another stroke) and into vignettes and call backs and heightened absurdities. Ultimately though, my very favorite part of a Battlemasters show involves any audience interaction. It helps to have a ‘yes and’ attitude going in – and if you need help there’s a 2-for-1 whiskey deal at The Public House Theatre on Thursdays – but something about their crowd control turns me into a giddy five year-old at a carnival. Go all in and you will be rewarded at the end because, reader, their finale is just goddamn wonderful. Their last show culminated in an elaborate joke with the greatest song ever (Ginuwine’s Pony), I didn’t think they could top it but they did. And I won’t ruin it here. You have to go experience it on your own.
Go see this if you like H.P. Lovecraft, or if you know nothing about H.P. Lovecraft – there’s a very informative PowerPoint early on. Go see it if you like your humor like Starbucks brews its coffee: dark and burnt. See it if you like jokes infused with performance art. Definitely see it if Halloween is your highest of holy days; it’s never too early to get into the spirit of the season. It’s $5, go see it!
Cthulhu Cthursdays: Theater of the Macabre
Thursdays, September 18 & 25
8:00pm $5.00
The Public House Theatre
* I don’t care how many of you nerds I’m disappointing right now.
