Story by Jonoton Marcus Booze
Photos courtesy of Ariel Ogden
For many people, Keythe Farley and Brian Flemming’s Bat Boy: The Musical is an icon of slapstick surrealism. The script alone is a comical portrayal of serious subjects such as revenge, hypocrisy, and forgiveness. As the play’s motto says, “This isn’t your mother’s musical.” The University Theatre’s fall rendition of Bat Boy clearly understood this and hit the mark.
The cast’s careful depiction of the characters is full of energy that continues to grow far into even the final scenes. Just like Bat Boy’s personal evolution as a character, the cast outdoes themselves with every scene.
Although each and every cast member brings a personal touch of flavor to their characters and should be acknowledged; two people in particular immediately stand out. Actress Stephanie Hawkins—whose portrayal of Meredith Parker includes a compassionate touch, campy attitude and formidable vocals—is a natural star. Lead actor Evan Marshall who plays the ever-changing Bat Boy himself comes with no short supply of talent, merging with shadows when necessary and pushing you further into your seat with his presence.
The show is only further magnified by the crew’s strong set design, which should be applauded on its own. The creative wooden skeleton of the set is so well constructed only small prop changes are needed to switch locations organically. A small sign or hanging hooks are enough to convince its audience that they’ve entirely switched locations. With costumes that are nothing short of eye candy and simple yet effective wardrobe changes, viewers will follow this story and its twenty-two characters gracefully and with ease.
Actor Colin Lawrence (who plays the roles of Ruthie, Pan, and Townsman) said it best: “This is an exciting, energetic, funny, and surprisingly touching show.” There is no better way to send off the last few weeks of 2011 than with this charming, funny and completely alive theater experience.  The professionalism of the cast and their level of performance will leave you singing “Hold Me, Bat Boy” in the shower for a long, long time.
Bat Boy premiered Friday, November 4^th, and continues November 5-19 at the Villard Theatre Complex on UO campus.

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