By NATALIE SACKET
Staff Writer
If you’ve never seen a play with Batman, pizza, hedgehogs, and cancer patients, you’ve never seen a play quite like Jordan Lyles’ “Blow Me Up, Jesus.” This play is much like senior theatre major Lyles: witty, funny, heartwarming, creative, relatable and unique.
For her senior show, Lyles not only directed “Blow Me Up, Jesus,” but also conceptualized and wrote its entire script. She was in charge of costumes, set, lighting, audio, publicity and prop design. This is certainly an undertaking that seems insurmountable, yet Lyles managed it with grace and endurance, creating an incredible production.
Beneath Lyles’ direction was a unified cast able to cohesively perform in a realistic, yet dramatized, manner. Justin Regier, NWOSU senior, was able to portray the protagonist Joel in a highly relatable manner.
Regier was able to depict a character facing the trials of cancer, all the while presenting a menagerie of emotions. Though Joel spent a majority of the play at the edge of death, Regier was able to play the character with a variety of levels. He was humorous without being crass; he was heartwarming without being sappy. These are fine lines to balance, which Regier managed exceedingly well.
Regier was balanced by a great quality cast. Hanson Long, participating in his thirteenth role at NWOSU, played a highly realistic and fantastic father. (I just wish he had told more dad jokes.) Madelyn DeGraffenreid, the 11-year-old sister of Lyles, had a spectacular premiere in “Blow Me Up, Jesus.” This small girl by no means has small talent. The other cast members were highly unified, many portraying more than one role. There was even a special appearance by NWOSU professors Tom Pantera and Karen Linstrum.
According to Lyles, “I feel the show was a success in that every actor stepped up and got out of their comfort zone to give some wonderful performances.”
There were several elements of “Blow Me Up, Jesus” that meshed together exceedingly well. The soundtrack was perfection, setting the mood for the production excellently. The set was charmingly crafted to depict the ideal bachelor pad of a superhero-obsessed bachelor, from its macaroni and cheese-stocked cabinets to its comic-covered bookshelves. Lyles appeared to have thoroughly thought out every aspect of this production, right down to its live hedgehog.
The cohesive units of the play and the carefully crafted script allowed for a moving production. There were times I was laughing out loud and times that I was holding back tears, which makes “Blow Me Up, Jesus” a success in my book. This is largely due to Lyles’ creatively constructed script. The humor was appropriately timed, without being forced. There were philosophical moments that forced the audience to reflect, without being too heavy. It was a highly impressive debut script for Lyles.
As with any production, the truest success lies in what the director feels he or she has accomplished.
According to Lyles, this show could definitely be considered a success. “I’m still reeling from all the feedback. We are all very appreciative of the support this show received, and I’m immensely grateful for my cast and crew, as well. When I finally got to step back from being a director and playwright, and truly appreciate the work that our actors were doing, it was really fulfilling. It was everything I envisioned, and then some.”
Congrats to Lyles and the NWOSU theatre on a 5-star production.