Even if one hasn’t experienced the painful lameness of the 1960s surfing films, ala Gidget, Charles Busch’s Psycho Beach Party takes a stab about all that is wholesome and holy on the surf and sand.
The play tells the story of Chicklet, the underdeveloped, “Gee whiz!” teen heroine, played by freshman Emily Madison. Chicklet only wants to learn how to surf and enjoy her chaste first kiss. Unfortunately, there is also a serial body shaver running around the beach and a handful of beach egos and libidos for Chicklet to overcome.
This year’s All Student Theatre production, presented in the quadrangle this past weekend, was ideal; the cast had high energy and good material. Parodies walk a thin line between humorous send-offs and jerky imitations, and Psycho Beach Party is the former.
Chicklet’s quest to understand surfing and dating is told along with a cocktail of other beach sagas-the sexual prowess of surfer king Kanaka, played by Sam O’Connell, as well as the efforts to put together a luau by roommates Yo-Yo, played by Jon Reitzes, and Provoloney, played by Matty Pickar. Yo-Yo and Provoloney are two young gentleman who appear to be more than just surfing “partners.” Brooke Bagnall of Mama’s Pot Roast is excellent as Chicklet’s spectacled and Nietzsche reading gal pal Berdine.
Alexis Cullen-Baker and Cara Nussbaum fabulously pout as two beach bitches named Bettina Barnes and Marvell Ann, while Nic Montemayor plays Star Cat, the well-oiled object of Chicklet’s ultimate affection.
The show’s pace is fast and furious, with quick character and plot points that play like a series of interconnected skits, transitioned through some wild `60s style dancing that could have busted straight out of Burt Ward’s Batman TV show. The songs were all lively and clever choices for the scene switches. The dancers all wore `60s style dress and partners wore matching colors. The set design, meanwhile, was minimalist but appropriate; stage designer Justin Barisonek even provided the cheesy moving cardboard waves to add to the show’s campy feel.
But the beach is more than fun and games, as Psycho Beach Party is definitely a black comedy. Chicklet’s mother, played by Meagan Miller, is a sweet faced-forked tongue woman like Bette Davis in What Ever Happed to Baby Jane? Virginity and the dangers of losing it loom ever closer, and sexual perversion and child abuse follow not very far behind. Malibu Beach’s mad body shaver is a cipher for some of the play’s more sinister issues.
Still, the play is a comedy, and an outrageous, rant-a-minute one at that. The cast handled the material excellently, and stereotypes that might have fallen stiff and hollow are all surprisingly and pleasantly full.

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This entry was posted on Friday, April 13th, 2001 at 12:00 pm and is filed under Cadenza. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.