Popsicle's Departure, 1989, "Honey Pot: Adolescent Girls in Sticky Situations," Moby Dick -- Rehearsed

by Lori Hill

theater

Late '80s punk rock. Seven-year-old superheroes. Moby Dick meets Orson Welles meets King Lear. Philly theater's own superhero, Madi Distefano, helms this strange ship of ideas in a three-part festival by Brat Productions (whose motto is "theater that rocks") "featuring just about every fresh female Philly has to offer." Distefano wrote the first installment, Popsicle's Departure, 1989, inspired by her own experiences as well as the shaggy-dog tales she's directed in the past. Popsicle tells the story of two kids making their way in Boston's underground punk scene. Next is a fest within a fest, "Honey Pot: Adolescent Girls in Sticky Situations," three short plays by three different writers, all in one night. Distefano's The Amazing Adventures of Estro-Jen finds a young girl (Julianna Zinkel, now starring in the Wilma's Wintertime) stomping around in pink sneakers in her bedroom, trying to save the world from the forces of evil. The Wheels on the Bus Go by Clay McLeod Chapman is about a deaf teenage girl discovering her sexuality. Arden Kass' Slipdress is inspired by the true story of a girl who gave birth in the bathroom during her senior prom. The third installment, Orson Welles' Moby Dick -- Rehearsed, gets a twist from director Distefano. Thirteen women will play all the roles in this play about an acting troupe in the midst of rehearsing King Lear who drop it to act out Moby Dick. If you need any indication of how well this will play out, consider this: Drucie McDaniel takes on Capt. Ahab, leading a cast that includes Lee Etzold and Amanda Schoonover. Sea chanties provided by James Sugg. Theater that rocks, indeed.

Popsicle's Departure, 1989, April 16-May 9;"Honey Pot: Adolescent Girls in Sticky Situations," April 23-May 9; Moby Dick -- Rehearsed, May 25-June 12; Christ Church, 20 N. American St., $10-$20, www.bratproductions.org.