Donald Volpenhein as SQuja’. Photo by Mikki Schaffner.
A KLINGON CHRISTMAS CAROL presented by Hugo West Theatricals through Dec. 22
Director Mike Hall and the HWT gang succeed with an ambitious production of this Star Trek-themed take on a holiday classic. The humor of the show works well without being forced or over the top. Kudos to the cast for the effort they put into the production and for tackling the lines in Klingon. Makeup wise, the women’s appliances and overall looks worked well. Some of the men’s appliances though, looked a little worse for wear in places. The limitations of the performance space resulted in some clunky scene changes which caused the overall pace to fluctuate. Two “issues” that I did have that could be easily addressed would be the skin tone of the Ghost of Kahnless Past. A darker complexion would be a better homage to the original series. Also it would help to temporarily gel the hall light behind the stage exit.
Definitely a fun time for Star Trek fans and non-fans alike. Hearing Burgess Byrd growl “SQuja'” is worth the price of admission alone. K’plah!
My rating: 3.75 out of 5
Behind the Curtain Cincinnati 