Brelby Features Bug Eyed Monster Boys in NIGHT OF SHORTS

Brelby Theatre's Night of Shorts features the work of six playwrights, each of whom were given the prompt "imagine," "create" or "inspire."

Illana Lydia's childhood background is in science fiction-specifically, Doctor Who, the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, and the various forms of Star Trek. She's intimately familiar with the concept of the bug-eyed monster. She thought it would be fun to have a show featuring two bug-eyed monster boys as some kind of galactic creators.

Lydia slips into sci-fi speak without missing a beat.

"Most of the time, bug-eyed monsters are various shades of evil; from the squid-like creature inhabiting a Dalek to the Vogons to the Gorn," she said. "They're not too complex in personality, just wanting to kill the heroes. I asked myself, but what if we had some bug-eyed monsters who weren't fully formed yet into evil beings, but still kids, figuring things out on their own?"

"The Little Girl character developed from my understanding of the historical Cleopatra," she continued. "Here was a woman who was the most educated person alive in her time, who knew 37 different languages and had her own scientific equipment to perform experiments, and I wondered, wouldn't that type of personality be the inevitable result of being left to one's own devices for centuries?"

John Perovich, who Lydia says has done an "outstanding job casting and shaping the piece," directs the original production. "He had an excellent feel for what each actor needed to bring to the table, and every one of them has risen to the occasion," she continued.

Lydia said she was surprised by how much fun the actors seemed to be having, encouraged by the director.

"On one level," said Lydia, "this play is a farcical tale with a silly premise: what if two bug-eyed monster boys were creators of the world, and one of them fell in love with a little human girl? On another level, the piece is about the male gaze and what it's like to be a woman on display who has been created for the pleasure of her male viewers, but who bursts through this restrictive construct spectacularly. Audiences don't need to take away the second level of the show, but I'd love for them to question the role of gender in relationships of power."

Imagine

By Ilana Lydia

Directed by John Perovich

With:
Charlie - Tim McCandless
Pete - Eric Bond
Little Girl - Alexandra Utpadel
Little Girl's Reflection - Melody Chrispen

Night of Shorts contains material unsuitable for children.

Brelby partners with downtown Glendale businesses to offer more options for audience members. By showing their digital ticket, audiences can receive 10% off of their bill at the Hop Stop Diner, 10% off of any entrée at Haus Murphy's Restaurant, and 10% off of a customer's bill at the Olde Towne Glendale (OTG) Beer & Wine Bar or the Gaslight Inn.

Night of Shorts performs at 7:30pm January 6-7, 13-14 and at 2pm January 8.

Tickets are available by visiting the official web site at www.brelby.com/tickets. General admission is $15 per performance. Admission to Night of Shorts is included in the benefits of Brelby's ShowGO subscription: brelby.com/showgo. The Brelby Playhouse is located at 7154 N 58th Dr, Glendale, AZ 85301.

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