alacartoona

Existential Dread

by Emily Van Zandt

featured in INK

What do you get when a musician acts, an artist writes and a singer dances? Theater in Kansas City, apparently.

If you’re planning to be in the Crossroads Arts District for First Friday this weekend, be sure to stop by the Living Room in the Pearl (1818 McGee St.). This new theater/music space is hosting a production called “The Oil Boiler,” a one-act show that incorporates traditional drama with visual art and jazz music to tell the story of a nightclub of assassins exploring the idea of free will.

The show was written by local artist Tyson Schroeder and actor/musician Christian Hankel (both also act in the production) and features Erin McGrane, Walter Coppage, Katie Gilchrist and Cody Wyoming.

A highlight of the production is the music. Smokey nightclub-esque jazz numbers — original music by Hankel and Jeff Freling — are infused throughout the play. Jeffrey Rukaman, Kent Burnham and Johnny Hamil round out the live band. KC jazz performer Shay Estes packs in some serious talent as lounge singer Holly Red, slinking her way onstage to entertain and further the plot with devious looks and lyrics. Look for Wyoming, who plays MC for the night, to duet (and dance) with Estes.

Wyoming is, perhaps, more known around town for his music than his acting, but that seems to be the theme of this production. Hankel and McGrane are both known for their work in Alacartoona, and bring the same sense of mysterious theatricality to this production. Schroeder’s visual-arts background comes into play in design elements (and did I mention puppets?).

Estes points to “The Oil Boiler” as being part of a larger trend in KC.

“It’s a city built for cross-genre work,” she said, noting Quixotic, Alacartoona and Mark Southerland as all working to incorporate elements of various arts. Estes and others in the cast describe Kansas City as a place where they can afford (literally) to take artistic risks.

And for the audience, those risks pay off in this show. Think of it as an artistic multivitamin: You’re getting a lot of good stuff at once. If you’re not into theater, go for the jazz. Not into music? Go for the art. If you’re not into any of these things, you’re still in luck.

Said Wyoming of the show: “This is my club and I, personally, want you to leave with a sense of existential dread.”

Sounds like my kind of Friday night.

The show starts at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 9 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $12 in advance or $15 at the door. Go to theoilboiler.com for tickets and more info.