This is the show I have been most curious to see this season at Lyric Arts. I had never heard of it and as I left I can say its definitely one of the most interesting shows I have seen on their stage. Written by Philip Ridley, I loved this dark comedy about how far you are willing to go to achieve your perfect dream. RADIANT VERMIN is a wild exploration of consumerism, housing shortages, and the cost of perfection. Head on over to Anoka today so you don’t miss this incredible production, running through March 24th.
We meet Jill and Ollie, a young couple with a baby on the way, they dream of buying a home to settle down and begin their family. One day they receive a mysterious offer from Ms. Dee to finally become home-owners. The offer seems to good to be true and we quickly learn just why as Jill and Ollie get a rude awakening about the terms of the contract they agreed to. Being part of a secret government project they must go to extreme lengths to continue renovating their home. They may be resistant for a moment but they become obsessed with having their dream home and being the envy of the neighborhood, at any cost.
The cast assembled is incredible and brings their all to these roles. Noah Hynick was most recently seen as Squidward in THE SPONGEBOB MUSICAL, one of my favorite musicals at Lyric Arts, and in the role of Ollie we get to see an incredibly different side of Hynick. He is a soon to be father determined to provide for his family. Callie Baack plays Jill whose persuasive ways convince Ollie to continue down this path leaning more into the desire to have a perfect home and keep up with the ever changing expectations from her neighbors.
Hynick and Baack have a fantastic chemistry as they re-tell this story to the audience with many moments breaking the fourth wall, adding a delightful amount of humor to the tense moments of the show, and making their less-than-moral actions feel justified by they way they reassure each other. Rounding out the cast is Danielle Krivinchuk playing the mysterious character of Miss Dee with a surprising ending that causes you to leave wondering what you would do if put in the same situation as they were.
Callie Aho is making her directorial debut at Lyric Arts and I am eager to see her direct more soon. This script needs to be handled with care as to keep the characters still likeable through all the terrible acts they are performing, it’s a delicate balance and Aho leads this cast through it brilliantly. Set design by Cory Skold, lighting design by Shannon Elliott, costume design by Jeannie Hurley, and props design by Vicky Erickson with Gillian Constable returning as dialect coach.
This thought-provoking production runs through March 24th. Get tickets on their website. They are offering a $15 ticket offer if you use code RADIANT15 on select seats.
Lettered in Theatre 