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Theatre Fri Apr 09 2010
Hello Human Female at Gorilla Tango Theatre
If you've ever felt desperate for a romantic relationship, Hello Human Female will make you feel much better about yourself -- not only in comparing your own desperation to the main character's virginity at the age of 37, but in the nonstop hilarity of Gorilla Tango Theatre's latest production.
Written by Texas native Matt Lyle, Hello Human Female is the story of the adorably sheltered and confused Tamela- a middle-aged tween who lives with her cat-crazed, jazzercising mother, and spends her time secretly listening to Kiss on a cassette player. After scouring Match.com for any sort of romantic acknowledgement, Tamela comes across Dr. Gorn. She looks past his obvious desire to use her human female body for experimentation, blissfully blinded by the idea of a first date. Her date with Dr. Gorn leads Tamela to meet Blork, Gorn's brainless, patch-worked human henchman, and of course, they fall in love.
Hello Human Female is littered with delightful cultural allusions, witty innuendos and timely references to current events. Its absurd concept and at times senseless story line never misses a beat of comedic timing, and doesn't fail to acknowledge how far-fetched its meandering plot line becomes.
Allison Tolman as Tamela brings consistent charm to the stage. Her acceptance of Blork is an over-the-top acknowledgement of society's need to be more open-minded of different people- even people who don't have functioning arms, and whose brain is in a jar instead of their skull. You can't help but appreciate this lovesick woman as she looks past her new boyfriend's handicaps and genuinely appreciates his attempts to speak proper English and love her back.
Joey Cranford played a plethora of ridiculous characters, impressively transitioning between Dr. Gorn, Tamela's mother, and a sappy, redneck grandpa. His voice and mannerisms are effectively exaggerated as each absurd character. Lee as Tamela's mother was a highlight of the production, especially in "her" dysfunctional relationship with Tamela- very reminiscent of the Australian sitcom, "Kath and Kim."
Matt Lyle's award winning Hello Human Female is making its Midwest debut at Gorilla Tango Theater from April 7-28 on Wednesdays at 7:30. Tickets are $12. Bring a date and enjoy the fact that you both know how to use proper nouns and transitive verbs.
