Boom X: a formidable spectacle but a bit rushed…..

 

A production of the 1000 Islands Playhouse in Gananoque, ON

Boom X, a show written, directed and performed solely by well-known theatre artist Rick Miller, is certainly a tour de force production-wise. Large projection screens, a central podium and duly bright illumination, not to mention the energetic acting of Miller himself, each contribute to a non-stop spectacle which easily commands one’s attention. All of the technical intricacies involved are also reflective of the fact that this is a multi-company effort, presented by Miller’s own companies Kidoons and WYRD in association with Theatre Calgary and the 20K Collective. While the show impresses on both a technical and performance level, its emotional impact is less pronounced. Meant to provide a broad survey of the period (1969-1995) in which the roughly defined “Generation X” came of age, Boom X succeeds more in music and cultural documentation than it does in digging deep into the impact that the events of the era had on those growing up within it.

The show begins evocatively, with a re-enactment of Jimi Hendrix, by Miller, playing “The Star Spangled Banner” at Woodstock in 1969. His shifting between subsequent voices of famous figures from that point on is impressive for the most part, although some of his impressions of female figures (such as Tina Turner and Madonna) come off as caricatures. Renditions of rock and pop songs are accompanied by key dates and events passing by on the projection screen immediately in front of the podium where Miller is performing. His work is genuinely thrilling, as it is accompanied with effective lighting and instrumentals.

Miller’s endeavour is not meant for pure nostalgia’s sake, however – shortly after the beginning impressions of singers and other cultural icons, the audience is introduced to the performer’s own story of growing up in Montreal during the 70s and 80s, as well as that of four other Gen Xers. Each of the four, named Howard, Steph, Annika and Brandon, have a certain personal connection with Miller. Spanning different birth dates (from 1964 to 1983), their stories are meant to provide a diverse sample of people shaped by this era. The anecdotes of both Miller and his four interviewees are interspersed between key political moments and cultural ephemera such as commercials and TV shows.

While the re-enactment of classic rock and pop songs and trip through amusing mementos of the period is certainly entertaining (the latter garnering many laughs from the audience), I couldn’t help but feel that some of the personal anecdotes were rushed through without time to meaningfully reflect upon them. A noticeable instance of this is when the bi-racial Brandon’s struggle with identity in adolescence is mentioned in a mere minute, only to be quickly followed by Miller’s own graduation from McGill University. It is moments such as these which make the emotional aspect of Boom X seem inauthentic at times, though more depth on this front is achieved when the impact that the threat of actual conflict between America and the USSR in the 80s has upon the East German Annika is discussed.

I also felt that the production veered a bit excessively towards an overtly political lens in the relaying of personal experiences, as all four of the representatives appeared to be involved in or have ties to social activism. While the political developments of the period were undeniably important, framing the coming-of-age process solely through this prism to the exclusion of others is limiting.

This is not to say that the effort put on by Miller to document Generation X is not done in earnest; it’s just that the production may have benefitted from slowing down a bit to examine the lived experiences, both innocuous and significant, of growing up in a period fraught with changes.

Boom X continues until June 15 at the Springer Theatre in the 1000 Islands Playhouse in Gananoque. For information and tickets, see http://www.1000islandsplayhouse.com/boom-x/

Cast and Crew

Written, Directed and Performed by Rick Miller
Executive Producer: Jeff Lord
Lighting Designer: Bruno Matte
Projection Designer: Nicolas Dostie
Costume & Props Designer: Virginie Leclerc
Multimedia Designer: Irina Litvinenko
Stage Manager & Dramaturg: Craig Francis
Set & Sound Designer/Composer: Rick Miller