”Trouble, A Calamity Adventure”

A NoHo Arts theatre review of Queen Mab Productions’ and Open-Door Playhouse’s production of ”Trouble, A Calamity Adventure,” written and directed by Catherine Barnes and featuring the band Calamity.

Online: Part One – Part Two

”Trouble, A Calamity Adventure” is a radio play, available online at the above website. Open-Door Playhouse, “bringing plays to the airwaves,” is a lovely venue bringing talented writers, directors and actors to the masses via their website.  Such a brilliant idea and a thrilling way to give space to talent from around the country. 

“Trouble, A Calamity Adventure” is a lovely way to meet the actual band Calamity, a group of five female musicians bursting with talent!  In the play, Calamity take a road trip to Vegas. The band is hired by a mysterious promoter, “Mike Crutch,” and since they are in search of adventure and some much-needed publicity, the ladies of the band throw caution to the wind, load up their tour truck and head on out across the desert to Las Vegas.  On their way, they encounter some deliciously unsavory characters, have all their phones stolen, and worse!  However, they never forget to play us a lot of truly wonderful songs along the way!

This radio play is absolutely brilliant! It’s like an episode of The Monkeys, or even “A Hard Days Night,” with all the twists and turns and clashing characters and crazy subplots.  

The story works perfectly around the truly incredible songs, each one leading us on through the story and creating a gorgeous atmosphere, a band in trouble, out on the run, trying to keep it together as one disaster after another befalls them.

Part One leaves us nicely in suspense, a real cliffhanger, in fact. Then, Part Two continues the epic journey and completes the adventure.  This is such an entertaining and relaxing way to experience a play.  

The writer and director Catherine Barnes is a total genius, and from what I can tell from this play, a bit of a badass. But then all these amazing female musicians are. How better to showcase their brilliance than in this fantastic format. 

We get to meet them, understand them, and be sung to by them, quite beautifully I might add.  They play together as a band and also as a group of funny, smart and compelling actors. I love this format. And it’s free!! Although you can donate to the website, which hosts many other dazzling plays from all over the country!

Take a seat on your couch or your horse or whatever, make yourself a cocktail or two, put your feet up, and spend some time with the extremely talented and hilarious ladies of Calamity.  

Cast: 

Catherine Barnes, Claudia Russell, Cathryn Beeks, Nisha Catron, Marcia Claire, Patric Pertrie.

Online: 

Part One – Part Two