2012-13 Season 10

Reals

by Gwydion Suilebhan
Directed by Shirley Serotsky

Aug 27 - Sep 16, 2012

Jack has worked hard to develop his “real-life superhero” persona. He works out every day, hones his skills as a former member of the Coast Guard, and devotes endless hours to perfecting his costume. Now, as Nightlife—the man who brings life to the night—he’s ready to start fighting crime. Or at least… he thinks he is. With his partner and confidant, Laney—a reluctant hero named Belt with advanced martial arts training—he’s assembling a team to walk the streets at night and start attacking crime head-on. He has zeal, big muscles, and a superhero code to live up to… but not much more. When Jack and Laney start interviewing potential team members, however, the façade of their crazy ambitions begins to crumble. Deceit, lies, and secrets slowly unravel their trust, until a shocking act of real violence perpetrated by Sensei—the first hero they consider adding to the team—reveals the truth Nightlife has been hiding beneath his suddenly very flimsy mask, cape, and nickname.

Cast

Night Life  Andrés C. Talero
Belt  Blair Bowers
Sensei  John Hudson Odem
Girl  Brynn Tucker

Production Team

Director  Shirley Serotsky
Scenic Designer  Steven T. Reed, Jr
Lighting Designer  Stephanie P. Freed
Costume Designer  Kendra Rai
Sound Designer  Elisheba Ittoop
Fight Choreographer  Nathaniel Mendez

Press

What They Say

“The playwright’s concept offers all sorts of sad and funny possibilities, as you ponder what the characters’ antics mean for a culture so besotted with childish fantasies of possessing strengths far beyond those of mortal men.”

img
The Washington Post

“Suilebhan’s play offers us none of this kind of uncomplicated joy. But it’s an admirable engagement of a trope we just can’t seem to leave behind: Heavy is the head that thinks about the head that wears the mask.”

img
Washington City Paper

“Reals teeters along a fine edge between a zany “Batman and Robin” poke-fun-at-itself storytelling and a sinister “24” torture-the-bad-guy psychosis.”

img
MD Theatre Guide

“Reals is an entertaining play that includes a couple of good twists, and will make you think and understand the real intention for a play about “superheroes” by the end.”

img
DC Metro Theater Arts

Related Productions

Other Productions From This Season

Soulful Sessions

2012-13 Season 10

Wonderful Life

2012-13 Season 10

Hothouse on the Hill

2012-13 Season 10

Word Becomes Flesh

2012-13 Season 10

Skip to content