Friday evening brought contemporary playwright Chelsea Marcantel’s widely acclaimed comedy, “Airness” — an official term that describes an air guitarist ascending to genuine artistic expression — to GCT’s stage.
Performed in real life in official international competitions, air guitar requires no instruments or musical training; performers pretend to play their guitars with exaggerated mimicry to rock or heavy metal music.
In the sixties, a British psychedelic rock band (Rupert’s People) showed up without their gear (they forgot it!) to film a promo clip for their single, “I Can Show You.” The director suggested the band members aptly pantomime their own performances for the shoot, and that video is the earliest recorded footage of air guitar.
One year later at Woodstock in 1969, rocker Joe Cocker played an imaginary guitar and piano in “With a Little Help From My friends.” His iconic performance is widely credited with introducing air guitar to a global audience.
Professional competitions occur globally, and the Air Guitar World Championship has been held in Oulu, Finland since 1996. GCT’s performance of a rock comedy inspired by the phenomenon plays well in its intimate theater.
Marcantel’s “Airness” premiered at the 2017 Humana Festival of New American Plays and won the 2018 M. Elizabth Osborn New Play Award. Her wild comedy has been performed hundreds of times across the U.S. in regional professional theaters, community theaters, university drama departments and (modified to be age appropriate) in high schools.
Directed at GCT by Randi Walker with artistic direction by Carrie Conklin, “Airness” steps well beyond an electric lineup of air guitar competitions to a telling tale about Nina (played by Kate Wetzel), a cynical real-life rock musician who takes up air guitar on a petty quest for revenge competing against her ex-boyfriend, “D Vicious” (Eric Walker).
As the story unfolds, Nina discovers air guitar to be far more challenging than she imagined. Falling in with a group of air guitar nerds who coach her from failure to victory, she learns the Six Pillars (each character represents one) of air guitar artistry.
Nina, aka “The Nina” (Wetzel) represents achieving Airness — the uninhibited joy a performer shares when they truly become one with music.
Ed Leary, “Shreddy Eddy,” (played by Brian Bond) represents Artistic Merit; Gabe Partridge, “Golden Thunder” (Joshua Naderi) represents Originality; Mark Lednder, “Facebender” (Jeb Beard) represents Feeling; Astrid, “Cannibal Queen” (Lindsey Ringquist) represents Technical Ability; and David Cooper, “D Vicious,” (Eric Walker) represents Charisma/Stage Presence.
Wetzel delivers depth as “The Nina” sheds her desire for revenge and discovers joy and true belonging. Bond is gentle and compelling as “Shreddy Eddy,” Naderi’s “Gold Thunder” is over-the-top funny and magnetic, Beard’s “Facebender” is authentic and human, Ringquist’s sexy “Cannibal Queen” is surprisingly soft under a brittle exterior, and Erick Walker slays as “D Vicious.”
The set (designed and installed by Cyd Tokar, Jeff Leinbach, Marc Goldman, Chris Watson and Eric Walker) depicts seedy bars and cramped stages across the country in eight competitions that culminate in The National Championships in LA. Upstage projections do some of the heavy lifting here, and the attention to detail flanking both sides of an upstage platform (the competition stage) also set a fitting visual tone.
The costumes (Amy Eyler and Bethany Butler) are visually exciting during performances with wigs and tattoo sleeves, colorful hair extensions, fishnets and glitz galore, and appropriate to the character’s personalities when the players are not performing.
The show opens with a blast of glam metal rock as Eric Walker performs as U.S. National Champion “D Vicious” to “Cum on Feel the Noize” by Quiet Riot. And from the moment he steps on stage, Walker delivers an electrifying performance as the egomaniac who sells out his music and heart to commercialism.
The locale shifts stage right to a local bar, and the story unfolds in New York, San Diego, Boston, culminating in “The Nina’s” performance of “I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll” by Joan Jett & the Blackhearts in a literally showstopping ending.
Intended for mature audiences, the music is loud and electric, the profanity prolific, the physicality amazing, and the emotion and passion for music (and life) palatable. Ryan Chalfant (Announcer/Sprite Exec/Hooded Figure) adds pure professionalism (both in his character and performance) to wonderful, ardent performances by the cast of six “pillars.”
Opening Night had some hiccups, but they were far overshadowed by the unique characterizations and the exciting air guitar performances to recordings by original rock artists. Cast, crew and audience had a blast!
By play’s end, “The Nina’s” journey, while rife with conflict and triumph, ultimately teaches us to love even (and perhaps especially) imaginary things for what they are.
Presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals, “Airness” continues on Fri/Sat (Nov. 13 and 14) at 7 pm. Tickets are $20 ($22.95 with fees). Go to Gettysburg Community Theatre for more information and to purchase tickets in advance (highly recommended).
Other Production Team Credits: John Rudy (Lighting Design); Kai Dittrich (Lighting Operator; Vanessa Rice (Props; and Cyd Tokar, Jeff Leinbach, Marc Goldman, Chris Watson, and Eric Walker (Set Design/Installation)
Photo Courtesy of Gettysburg Community Theatre
