The Factory Theater’s “Kitty James and Destiny’s Trail to Oregon,” with Kim Boler/ Photo: Oomphotography
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Yoke the oxen. Hunt for buffalo. Avoid dysentery! Prepare for a Wild West adventure in “Kitty James and Destiny’s Trail to Oregon,” a raucous comedy based on the classic “Oregon Trail” computer game. Playwright Phil Claudnic shows love for the source material, and director Jennifer Betancourt puts the cast through the wringer with high-speed chases, slapstick fistfights and perilous pratfalls.
The storyline is as deep as in most video games; not very. Kitty James (Kim Boler) is no-nonsense frontierswoman following her dream of opening her own coffee shop, emboldened by the dying wish of her former partner, the latter who bequeathed to her a magical half-medallion. But James is not the only one to covet said medallion, and she is pursued by warring factions of a prestigious family: the straight-faced, purple-clad twins, Dead (Tierra Matthews) and Weight (Reginald Hemphill), and black sheep Ursula (Abbi Bryson), accompanied by her prince charming, Reginald (Christopher Ratliff). Whomsoever procures both halves of the medallion gains supernatural powers, and it’s a race to Oregon to find the missing half and ensure that good triumphs over evil.
The script by Claudnic shows great care regarding the properties it references but hits the same obstacles as other video game adaptations. Fan service abounds, but is delivered in chunks as opposed to metered out evenly throughout the story. Until the thrilling climax, I wondered what, besides the setting in 1843 Western United States, this had to do with the game “Oregon Trail.” I was reminded of the film adaptation of “Doom” (2005), which hyped up a faithful recreation of the game enhanced with Hollywood-level graphics, only to relegate that to one scene in the end, a major disappointment to fans.
While spreading out the references for cheap hits of nostalgia would have been easier, sometimes simple is better. Although a slight imbalance, there are still plenty of nostalgic references, like the whip-fu of Indiana Jones, with props by Dugan Kenaz-Mara and scenery by Hunter Cole that faithfully resemble the weapons and tools from 8-bit video games. Millennials in particular will delight in this heartfelt homage to classic gaming.
The Factory Theater’s “Kitty James and Destiny’s Trail to Oregon,” with Abbi Bryson, Johnny Moran, Donovan Lunches and Eric Frederickson/ Photo: Oomphotography
The comedy is over-the-top and like a Saturday morning Nickelodeon cartoon. Prolonged poop-jokes, maniacal and bug-eyed screaming and abundant puns make up the bulk of the juvenile humor (warning, this is not a show for children). One of James’ followers, Norris (Vic Kuligoski), literally shits himself to death, dying in the former’s arms while delivering a soliloquy interrupted by the sounds of explosive diarrhea. Lackie #1 (Donovan Lunches) bursts a blood vessel in his right eyeball from yelling so loud during an intense fight scene. Lascivious battle-axe, Old Bitch Johnson (Mandy Walsh), hits on every man in sight and plies them with every synonym for moist genitalia one can think of. There are times when the sheer volume of yelling and the raunchy jokes become overwhelming.
Actors to the rescue! What saves the play from resting on toilet humor are the over-the-top performances of the ensemble. Boler as James delivers one-liners while cracking a long whip. Mangy Willy (Danny Mulae) is practically a one-to-one recreation of Donnie from the cartoon “The Wild Thornberrys”—and that’s a good thing! Matthews and Hemphill as Dead and Weight steal the show with their deadpan deliverance of inhuman noises and funny facial expressions. The handsome Ratliff as Reginald plays the prince charming archetype to perfection. Even Ursula’s for-hire lackies (Eric Frederickson, Johnny Moran and Lunches) are drenched in sweat by the end, after suffering through numerous slapstick beat’em ups. Each actor matches the overdramatic tone of the show and makes it feel like we’re watching a cartoon come to life.
Bombastic, sarcastic and crude, “Kitty James and Destiny’s Trail to Oregon” is the opposite of taking itself too seriously (like Batman’s the Joker asks, “Why so serious?”). Few who grew up at the end of the twentieth century have the same time for early morning cartoons and video games, and the show’s pop culture references feel like revisiting old friends. “Kitty James” rekindles that sense of childlike wonder but with an adult tone, so caulk the wagon and make way to Factory Theater for a pleasing blast from the past (and before the dysentery gets you!).
“Kitty James and Destiny’s Trail to Oregon” runs through March 29 at The Factory Theater, 1623 West Howard. Showtimes are Friday and Saturday at 8pm; and Sunday at 3pm. Tickets are $30 at thefactorytheater.com.
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