Crash! Boom! Pow!

“Crash! Boom! Pow! ” those are words that are common in comic strips. However, this time they name a play currently at the Shelterbelt Theatre in Omaha.

The play begins with an overworked waitress. She is struggling to support her daughter and herself on her meager salary. Naturally, as in all comic strips, there appears the mild, mannered character, Benny who is in awe of the superhero, The Red Dove, who swoops down to keep the city safe from crime and is constantly fighting her nemesis, The Bogeyman.

When The Bogeyman kidnaps the waitress's daughter, naturally, The Red Dove comes to the rescue. Do all superheroes make it in time? What if they don't? Who rescues the superheroes?

“Crash! Boom! Pow!” is a play in comic book form by Molly Welsh and Ben Beck. It is about superheroes with the super powers of strength, speed, and senses. However, what happens when superheroes first gain their powers? Do they make mistakes? Mess-up? How does anyone fix a superhero disaster? What if someone is accidentally hurt?

There are many life lessons in this play such as “Do you think I need a man to save my life”? “Sometimes fantasy loses the power to please”. “The tortoise, and man, is a slow, tough creature that can live for awhile even without a heart”. “We're always left with more to say.” “In stories we discover what it is to be human”. All of these are from this short play which lasted less than one hour.

“Crash! Boom! Pow!” had some excellent acting especially by Teri Fender who became the waitress. She masterfully understood this demanding role and truly created a personality for the audience.

This play is not for anyone under the age of thirteen and must have a parent present for anyone under the age of seventeen. There are too many occurences of violence and language issues that could cause anyone who is not an adult to have nightmares.

The action and concept is original and comical in this dark, modernistic play. Personally, I enjoyed the way which The Red Dove flew and the guilt of The Night Wolf with his new superhero powers. The intended audience would be for those adults who read comic books and who are in their twenties and thirties.

“Crash! Boom! Pow!” is at the Shelterbelt Theatre through July 29th with performances Thursday through Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $12. For more information online go to shelterbelt.org or call (402) 341-2757.