Open Space Arts continues to prove that might can be found in the minute with Mercy Killing, their latest show. Operating out of a space that fits only 20 audience members at a time, OSA has been knocking it out of the park this year with such acclaimed productions as Cock and Light Switch. Lighter in orientation, this latest show fits right in with that trend.
Playwright Alandra Hileman’s bright concoction focuses on pertly hip Mercy (Stephanie Fongheiser), a coffee shop barista, who finds love with the enigmatic Thana (Madeline Ackerlund) after stumbling upon a dead body on a San Francisco street. Problematically, Thana turns out to be a transitional reaper who can only appear in the line of duty.
Complicating matters further is the flirtatious Angie (Lydia Hanman), a recent transplant to The City by the Bay. Angie hosts Mercy’s favorite crime podcast and seems determined to come between the new girlfriends. Of course, Mercy’s propensity to be around the dead bodies that Thana is called to changeover may be an even bigger detriment, especially if Harmon (Artem Kreimer), Thana’s superior and possessive ex-lover, has anything to say about it.
Tonally, Hileman and director Greta Zandstra seem to be inspired by the vibrant queer energy of such pop stars as Janelle Monáe, Fletcher, Kehlani and Halsey. Not only does Zandstra use popular femme based dance tunes to mark time between scene set-ups, but one could definitely picture Chappell Roan, gladly, embodying any of the characters here.
Of course, it is hard to imagine anyone but Fongheiser and Ackerlund in the lead roles, so perfectly do they embody these passionate, deliciously quirky creations. Hanman brings a nice energetic edge to the stage, as well. Kreimer, meanwhile, not only supplies Harmon with a comic deftness, but he brilliantly differentiates a series of smaller roles.
Otherwise, Rick Paul’s inventive use of the space is of special note. Be sure to look for his effective details in many of the room’s corners and upper walls. Costumer Savana Nix also, expertly and colorfully, garbs the cast. Her instincts are so spot on that her creations surely helped them to find the essence of their characters.
That substance, nicely, is goofily macabre across the board, providing post-Halloween joy for those already missing the season. Lovers of unconventional romances and the joyful force of upstart indie theater will find much to cherish here, as well.
Mercy Killing runs through November 17th at Open Space Arts, 1411 W. Wilson Ave.