Kung Fu Zombies Saga at Theater Mu

 

Photo by Rich Ryan

Theater Mu’s Kung Fu Zombies Saga is a true SAGA; if you want to feel both uplifted and saddened, or if you want to laugh and cry at the sheer horrors of humanity, this is the show for you. Grab tickets here: KUNG FU ZOMBIES SAGA (July 20-Aug 13) — Theater Mu.

As you walk into Luminary Arts, and descend into the basement, the set (by Mina Kinukawa) comes into focus, and you know you are in for a treat. This is the perfect space for this show; setting the mood for you right away.

The energy and commitment from each and every member of this team is what makes this show. Overall, the sheer fluidity and agility of this group is simply breathtaking. This is a fight-heavy show, and every single person SERVED. The fight choreography is by Allen Malicsi, and in a theater world where fight choreography is often an afterthought, we give the fight choreography team HUGE props, for it was the star of this show. As well as being scarily realistic, it was also clearly safe enough that we weren’t worried about actors actually getting hurt.

The show is divided into two parts, and they are two different stories that briefly weave together in the second act.

In the first act, we follow Arun, who is a shaman. She must rescue her sister from a group of survivalists with the help of the monkey king. Arun is played by Hannah Nguyen, and she is pitch-perfect in this role. She manages to balance being young and naive, while still having a core of strength that brings her to achieve her goal. Her speaking voice was especially strong; she used her voice like a weapon when she needed to, and it was very effective. This is a true hero’s journey, and Nguyen played it remarkably well.

Photo by Rich Ryan

In the first act, Arun’s grandmother, played by Sandy Agustin, is the true heart of the show. While Arun is like fire, Agustin plays the grandmother with a comfortable groundedness. 

All of the connections with Arun and her family were strong, which helped us to understand why Arun has to go on this journey. Arun’s little sister, played by Olivia Lampert, was a standout for us in this first story. It is hard for an adult to play a little kid realistically and without being overly silly, but Lampert was able to do it in a genuine way, that added perfectly to the story.

Enormvs Munoz as the Monkey King was another standout - he was a much-needed comic relief, but also played the character with real wants and intentions. 

The only part of the first story we didn’t love was the tone of the robotic voice that was the wind calling to Arun - it just felt a bit too mechanical for such an otherwise grounded story.

As much as we liked the first act, the second act absolutely blew us away. This story follows Sika, who journeys from Minnesota to Laos in the midst of what basically amounts to the zombie apocalypse, to return her family’s ashes to their hometown.

Sika is played by Michelle De Joya, and they were incredible. An amazing fighter, they also managed to pull REALLY HARD at our heartstrings when they needed to. You could almost feel the weight they carried, both literally and metaphorically, of the lives they lost. De Joya is a tremendous performer. Soudavone Khamvongsa (as Arahan) and De Joya had palpable chemistry, which added a different element to the mix and was very fun to watch.

Photo by Rich Ryan 

Payton J. Woodson brings more groundedness as well as comforting energy as Loc. The audience felt safe when he was onstage, which was much needed in this story. 

Katie Bradley plays Mara and is one of the few actors to play the same role in both stories. In Act 1, we were a little unsure about her because her scene where she falls in love with the French teacher (played by Neal Beckman) felt a little too silly and unbelievable, but once she got into the swing of being the villain of the show, man, she was SCARY and we believed every second.

The ensemble actors who played zombies were also great - special shoutout to Alyssa Taiber, who is the fight captain, and who absolutely SLAYED in her solo moments.

The lighting (by Karin Olson) was some of the best we have seen; every moment blended flawlessly to further the story. The projections (by Miko Simmons) were also gorgeous - some literally took our breath away, like when the grandmother let her bird fly away, and when she entered the other dimension. The lighting and projections working seamlessly together made the audience so immersed in the show that we were believing in zombies and ghosts right along with the characters.

The costumes (by Mariko De Montalte) were also great - many weren’t very distinct, but this was not a flaw - the subtlety of the colors and pieces allowed you to see the thought behind the choices. The zombies, however, had intense and amazing makeup and were genuinely pretty scary.

Lily Tung Crystal directs this piece with a very stylized hand, and it absolutely pays off. Her vision and concept tie even two very different stories together tightly, and is clearly underneath every breath, choice, and punch. She manages to blend very funny moments with very emotionally searing moments. 

This show, which is an original work by Saymoukda Duangphouxay Vongsay, lets its importance seep into you slowly. I will let you figure it out for yourself, but I believe the zombies are an allegory for something else. This is a hugely ambitious script, at almost 3 hours long. Vongsay has truly created something special here - her love for Laos shines through in every line.

In the lobby, there are some very informative and helpful posters about Laos to give you context for what you are about to watch.

This isn’t an EASY watch by any means - it challenges you constantly and will punch you right in the gut at times. But it always manages to bring you back up with well-timed hilarity and the absolutely unbreakable nature of these women.

Photo by Rich Ryan

Kung Fu Zombies Saga: Shaman Warriors & Cannibals runs at the Luminary Arts Center until August 13th. Believe me, you truly won’t regret blocking off your evening to experience this.

You Should See This Show If:

You want to support new works, new actors (a lot of these actors are making their professional debut!), you have a connection with Laos, you want to be challenged, or you want to laugh and cry in the same 5 minutes!

Content Heads Up:

Language, staged violence and gore, sexual harassment & grooming, mention of trauma & bombings.

Rating:

5/5 Scones

-Review by Cranberry & Raspberry White Chocolate Scone