Review: HEIST at Constellation Stage & Screen

Constellation Stage & Screen's HEIST

Written by: Arun Lakra - Directed by: Chad Rabinovitz

Performances: September 3 - 20

Waldron Arts Center, 122 S. Walnut Street, Bloomington, IN 47404

"When stealing from a thief, there are no rules."

HEIST is a face-paced stage production that follows a team of criminals through the process of planning and executing a high-stakes heist. The carefully crafted plan goes sideways and the close knit group is torn apart by doubts and betrayal.

When the lights dim, and the show opens we meet Marvin, "The Boss" (David Sheehan), who cleverly breaks the fourth wall as he narrates the whole show. Marvin takes the lead on the heists and recruits Ryan (Kyle Patrick), Angie (Katja Roberts), Fiona (Claire Summers) and Kruger (Ben Smith) as they plan to steal from The Spider (Julie Dixon). Each member of the growing team has a particular skill set, which is demonstrated as their characters are introduced. This incredibly talented ensemble cast clicked, nailing the quick pace and frequent scene changes as Marvin introduces flashbacks throughout the nonlinear story. Each flashback revealing more details about the characters and the heist itself. There are a number of twists and turns as the story unfolds that lead the characters and the audience to come to their own conclusions about individuals and what really happened. The HEIST script is written and performed so well that I wound venture to say that there will be few who can actually figure out the ending on their own. And as we are told in the opening scene... the end changes the beginning.

One of the things that immediately stood out was the intentional use of technology and digital media in the show. From the opening credits, to the pop up character breakdown each time a new member was added to the team, of course the laser maze, and many more - each was timed perfectly and added to the tone and story in a meaningful way. In a world that can easily overuse AI and CGI, the HEIST production team did a great job of incorporating technology in innovative ways that contributed greatly to building the world and telling the story. Their team created an emersive energy to the performance space and even had multiple interactive pieces in the lobby that drew the audience into the world of HEIST from the moment of their arrival.

Each member of the HEIST cast brought their own creative touch to their characters and the combined chemistry. While there were aspects of the characters that were played off of stereotypes, they all complimented one another well.It is clear from the incredibly executed timing that these actors worked tirelessly in preparation and it paid off in spades. It felt like watching Oceans Eleven for the first time, each new character or bit of information exciting the audience as a whole and driving the story toward its end.

While I have many more thoughts about HEIST, I am hesistant to go into too much detail because I do not want to give any spoilers! I want everyone to experience this high stakes caper that keeps you guessing til the end... and beyond. I highly recommend seeing this intricate Bloomington born production before it takes the world by storm!

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