Review: DISRUPTION at Dolores Park

Michael Gene Sullivan and his troupe may be secretly saying to us all- “See I told ya so.” For 66 years they have been the sole voice of the left in the Bay Area scene, and their continuous commitment to socially relevant, in-your-face politically resistant theatre is proudly realized in this year’s offering, Disruption. The story, featuring excellent original songs by SFMT veteran Daniel Savio, raises all the red flags we are currently witnessing: the redistribution of wealth, the concentration of power to the very few, and the selling of America to corporate interests.

The side effects of these policies are portrayed through the story of Augie (Jed Parsario), a sweet, helpful Filipino American who’s all about community. Working in a fast-food shop that specializes in fried upscale yuppie foods, he will get caught up in a city up for sale by a nefarious AI marketer (Alicia M. P. Nelson). Jobs are slashed, city services vanish, and the police become another arm of ICE. Her catchphrase is” You have to cut the fat to taste the steak”. Protest and free speech become terrorism.

Augie’s friend Elizabeth (Lizzie Calogero) is a revolutionary firebrand, changing her name from Orwell to Che to Molotov, as she eludes capture for her escalating vandalism. As opposed to Augie’s less militant nature, she’s ok with ‘tearing the band-aid off to let the people feel the heat.” Sullivan plays both the Fried T’ings’ owner Chester and Hector, a gay cop struggling with his role in following orders he finds increasingly more difficult. Two musical numbers stand out: “We Are What We Do,” which begs the question of how far one goes against their true nature, and “Frogwater,” a great song about the concept of boiling a frog. If you heat the water too fast, the frog knows its dying, but if you slowly increase the heat, the frog is lulled to death without being aware. It’s a metaphor for our complacency to what’s happening around us – trouble is, this pace has radically increased . Precisely the Mime Troupe’s clarion call.

Disruption continues through August 3rd. Free theatre in the parks. For their schedule see https://www.sfmt.org/full-summer-schedule