Capsule 33
Perfect for Kids and Families.
Thaddeus Phillips grew up in Colorado Springs, acted in a children’s theater company with my son, went on to study with Encho Avramov at Colorado College, and since then has been just about everywhere. And I mean everywhere—-not only across the country but also to South America and central Europe, where his work as a creator of original solo theater has been justly celebrated. His most recent work, Capsule 33, is set in the infamous Nagakin Tower in Tokyo. This was an actual building of the 1970’s, composed of prefabricated modules or capsules, each just large enough for a single occupant. The building has fallen into disrepair and is scheduled for implosion, and one of its residents has decided to go down with his capsule. He’s Milo Dukanovic, a sad sack Serbian scientist obsessed with Nikola Tesla, with whom you have been recently acquainted. Fortunately, Milo has a very good friend, Fumio, a rubber duck who has washed onshore and proved a loyal and constant companion in a melancholy world of modern isolation. We should all have a friend like Fumio, and maybe we do. The play follows this unlikely pair as they go about what might be their last day on earth, and the wonder of the thing is not only this strange little story but the ways Thaddeus has invented to tell it. The central device is Milo’s capsule, which moves around on a raised platform in remarkably varied forms. The effects are simple and yet truly magical—you will be amazed at what a man can do with his pod, especially when the man is a true magician of the stage. I venture to say you’ve never seen anything like it. As John Moore, the Denver Post reviewer said, “I watch Thaddeus Phillips’ plays like a kid marvels at fireworks or a teen takes in his first “Laser Floyd”: mouth agape, eyes wide, synapses exploding. Transfixed.” I saw this show over a year ago, and immediately felt we should bring Thaddeus home. Now he’s coming to us directly from New York, where Capsule 33 is finishing its month long run at the Barrow Street Theater. I am not simply suggesting you see this ingenious and charming production. I am suggesting you bring your children and grandchildren, all you can find. Capsule 33 will open their eyes and minds to what is special about theater, what it can do what television and movies cannot. It’s as old as story-telling, and as marvelous as a tale from the Arabian Nights. Furthermore, it is powered entirely by sustainable energy— you might even be asked to pump small generators when you enter the theater to make sure the stage lights are fully powered. Please do as you’re told—this is one show where we want to keep the lights on all the way through.
— Murray Ross
Capsule 33 plays October 21-31
Click here for tickets and for more information.
Comments