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One should always read the play before attending a performance: survey says...
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Surfing Psychosis
by Devin Kormanik 
Life’s a beach, and then you die. This is a fitting truism for Chicklet Forrest, the star of the Mechanical Division’s latest production, Psycho Beach Party. Chicklet is a tomboy teen of the 1960s infected with surf fever. The production, which revolved around Chicklet’s itch to ride the waves with Malibu’s best, felt like a lengthy Saturday Night Live sketch; a low-budget creation high in humor that left the audience drowning in laughter.
The set was simple, consisting of a beach (a palm tree behind a sandy plateau) and a living room (a kitschy loveseat), but what the play lacked in props, the actors made up for with physical comedy. Chicklet’s (Amber Maser) facial expressions rivaled that of Jim Carrey’s performance in Ace Ventura, complemented by an assortment of voices that were reminiscent of those heard on the Cartoon Network. Had it been a one-woman show, Chicklet would have sufficed, but it was a party, and the beach was filled with several hilarious, exaggerated characters. The other beach bums included Chicklet’s nemesis, a Malibu Barbie clone named Marvel Ann; her bookworm best friend Berdine; a clan of beefcake surfers who lived, breathed and slept ocean waves, Nicky, Yo-Yo, Provoloney and Star Cat; her eerie mother, Mrs. Forrest, played by a man wearing a wig and a schmear of hot pink lipstick, and a Hollywood actress, the debonair Bettina Barnes. Together, these characters had the one-liners, appearances and comedic timing that kept the party going. It would not have mattered what characters were saying to one another because their individual demeanors were entertaining enough to keep my eyes on the stage. Chicklet’s summer mission was centered on making friends with Kanaka, a legendary surfer who ruled the ocean with his longboard. Her goals were to improve her surfing skills while simultaneously proving that she was a person with a legitimate passion, not just a quirky kid. It would have been smooth sailing if the story ended there, but the tide turned as it was determined that Chicklet suffered from Multiple Personality Disorder, a condition that stemmed from a suppressed painful childhood memory. Though serious in nature, these topics were sandwiched between large slices of humor, which kept Psycho Beach Party a lighthearted comedy that entertained from beginning to end. As Chicklet struggled through the rapid outbursts of her different personalities, switching from a saucy minx to a male model to a radio talk show host, I was taken by the stunning, yet comedic, portrayal of a serious illness. Chicklet’s face would twist in possessed movements, and her voice would jump from twangy to seductive to elderly with each facial twitch. When Star Cat began a lecture-like monologue about Multiple Personality Disorder, all humor was not lost; he spoke in a surfer drawl that offset the serious subject and was accompanied by Mrs. Forrest’s transvestite façade and Chicklet’s rubber-faced expressions. The play never feigned utter seriousness. Psycho Beach Party had humor seeping into even the most climatic, serious moments. From lessons about sex to a slow motion fight scene, Psycho Beach Party was a gathering of teenage love and angst, mental diseases and family issues. Without the inflated stereotyping of characters and humorous overtones, Psycho Beach Party would have been a tragic two hours, but the serious subjects were cushioned by plenty of comedy. Actors had no inhibitions, allowing for outrageous, and therefore hilarious, depictions of surfers, sex symbols and confused teens. Get yourself invited to the party; tickets to Psycho Beach Party are available by calling The Mechanical Division at 612-226-4941. 
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