Review of Detective Partner Hero Villain at Strawdog Theatre

Once upon a time I went to a show and it was called Detective Partner Hero Villain by Brett Neveu and it was directed by Gus Menary. It was about a detective (John Wilson), a hero (Sam Guinan-Nyhart), a partner (Marc Rita), and a villain (Tim Parker). It could also be about one person who was all those things. It was about a detective who was being confused because he had a very difficult case about this guy who kept hitting people who were wearing shirts of a superhero on the head with pipes and killing them. The problem of the play is trying to solve the case: who is the killer and where is the killer. But it is also about finding out what is up with the hero: why is he not saving the day? The detective finds out that he's not just the detective but that he is a partner, a hero, and a villain. There are three partners, two detectives, two heroes, and two villains. The Detective is the partner of the evil and the good and he is also the villain because he helps out the villain and he is the hero because we get to know him most. People should totally go see this. It was so amazing. The space is perfect for the show. All the actors were really great and they were perfect for their roles. It is a hard show for the mind, but it doesn't make you get angry; it is a good puzzle for your head.

I thought that the scene where the villain talked to the detective on the phone was very suspenseful. It was suspenseful because you felt like the villain could just be right outside his door or right behind him. I thought that the villain was really well-cast. He really freaked me out and I thought he was awesome. When he did his villain voice I felt like he was right behind me and could hit me over the head with that pipe. For a second you liked him because in the second scene on the phone he was acting really weird and funny. But then after he said about three lines he went back to being creepy. He was mostly pretty scary and he was basically the clue machine because he basically told the detective where he was. I thought it was funny how the detective said about the villain "His name is Super Doug, I mean Supernova." His actual name was Doug but changed his name to Supernova because it was more super-villain-like. You can't just say, "Hi, I'm Doug. You'd better run." Because it didn't sound scary, but if you say, "My name is Supernova," then they'll run.

I liked how the partner kept thinking of different metaphors that didn't really work. They didn't work because they just didn't make sense. He was trying to be super super smart but kind of failing. He was like, "imagine there are two halves of a circle and there is another half of the circle but that just has to go on top." You need somebody in a play that you just love that character because he's the comic relief. Somebody that is trying to be super smart is just super funny. The partner also had some serious parts like when he told the detective that they'd caught Supernova. I think that the person who played the partner was very awesome and amazing because he was great for the part and for a play like this he was the best comic relief ever. He has this line at the end that is really funny but I can't tell you because it would give away the ending.

So the Detective is the main character and he is serious most of the time. You feel like he is the hero because you get to follow his story most and you get to know how he is feeling and what he is thinking. You were interested in him and pitied him because he was lost throughout most of the play. He was emotionally lost because he didn't really know which was the good side and which was the bad side. He didn't want to be on the wrong side and he didn't want everybody to turn against him. I thought it was scary when the detective pulled out his gun because I knew that he was going to shoot it and he made it even more suspenseful by making it seem like he was going to kill this person and he was ready to do it. I thought that he was really perfect for this part. I thought that this actor was really amazing; he was scary but not too scary.

I thought that the hero was very funny. I really liked it when he came up to the detective and gave him a hug because superheroes don't usually give detectives hugs. He was sort of like Batman, but he is not like Batman because he is sweet and they make t-shirts of him. They make t-shirts of Batman in the real world but not in Gotham City. I thought this superhero wasn't always like (read this in a serious voice) "I'm Fantastic Phenomenon." He actually said what he wanted; he wanted to stop saving people because it was getting hard. Sam was great for this part because he seems like he could be a superhero because he is tough and knows how to do fight choreography but he doesn't seem like he can do everything in the world so that makes the complicatedness more believable.

I thought that the costumes (by Aly Renee Amidei) were really great and seemed like detective, partner, hero, and villain outfits. I really liked how the hero's outfit looked like Batman's and the mask covered part of his face. I also really liked the villain's outfit; I thought it was cool how it looked like part of his chest was exposed and was bloody. But it was actually a supernova, which is when stars burst and make a beautiful light pattern. I thought that how it looked like a bloody chest AND a supernova made it even more scary.

When you first get there you feel kind of scared. There are three reasons why you feel kind of scared. One is that there are outlines of people with blood on their heads. And two is that you have just heard that there is going to be a gunshot at some point. And three is that there is this music that was atmospherically creepy (sound by Stephen Ptacek). But then you are not scared through the whole show because there are funny things and serious things and dramatic things.

People who would like this show are people who like batman-like superheroes, supernovas, and nonsensical metaphors. This show is amazing and fun and funny but also suspenseful.

Photos: Tom McGrath