Review: ERA’s THE LAST SHOW ON EARTH is an Entertaining Off-Kilter Comedy

Joe Tylor’s new play, The Last Show on Earth, is enjoying its world premiere this month at the Kranzberg Black Box in Grand Center. Presented by ERA (Equally Represented Arts) The Last Show on Earth tells a cautionary tale about the effects of AI on human extinction and the universe.

There are not enough eccentric words to describe Taylor and director Lucy Cashion’s ominous futuristic vision of the world. The Last Show on Earth opens mere days before humans meets their demise and the world is inhabited by only IG bots for a “long, long, long time” until the the earth disappears from the great freeze.

In typical Cashion flair, she immerses her audience into the play long before the on-stage action begins. The pre-show begins in the lobby as patrons have photos taken for fake employee credentials. Once the house opens, audience members are seated by safety personnel (actors in character and full costume) employed at Scrum World Headquarters where the play is set.

The multimedia production features pre-recorded and live video projection. Joe Taylor’s original score is played by a three-piece band, and the all-in, committed ensemble are already on stage, in character, as the audience is seated.

The polished and meticulously prepared cast execute with effortless fluidity delivering Taylor’s linguistically demanding dialogue and Cashion’s choreographed chaos. Ashwini Arora, Will Bonfiglio, Maggie Conroy, Miranda Felix, Marty Rubright, Joe Taylor, and Rachel Tibbetts fall in and out of character delivery absurd portrayals in SNL-like comedy sketches.

Cashion, Taylor, co-scenic and lighting designer Denisse Chavez, Costume Designer Meredith LaBounty, and musicians Sam Golden and Dustin Sholtes have created a technological dystopian society intersecting at the crossroads where singularity replaces human life. It is a menacing and darkly comedic post-human story told through the lens of surreal and offbeat theatrical minds.

The Last Show on Earth is an off-kilter comedy that is as quirky as it is entertaining. Joe Taylor has penned and scored an inventive original play that he confidently placed in the ingenious hands of Lucy Cashion and her boundary pushing creative teams at ERA. If you're up for a wildly imaginative theatrical experience that’s playful and exhilarating, then do not miss The Last Show on Earth.

Performances of The Last Show on Earth continue at the Kranzberg Black Box through September 26, 2026. Visit eratheatre.org for more information.   

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