‘Castaways’ Treads in T.V. Waters

A group of strangers, stuck together on an island with little or no hope of being rescued, are forced to work together and form alliances in order survive in their prison of paradise. From “Survivor: Micronesia” to “Gilligan’s Island” to that Tom Hanks movie with the eerily similar title, this recurring scenario may ring a few bells. Especially with the new season of “Lost” starting in just a few days, the basic premise of the Freshman Musical “Castaways,” which runs in the Adams Pool Theatre through April 26, plays like a familiar, hackneyed old friend.

But although this set up has the potential to be a boring reiteration of deserted island clichés, the details and the cast’s animated performances bring immediacy to the characters, who command the audience’s full attention.

“Our city lives have left us wanting more excitement,” the characters sing in the opening scene, expressing a sentiment with which many students trapped between papers and midterms can identify. The musical’s book, co-written by Jacqueline P. Palumbo ’11 and Adam R. Gold ’11, who is also a Crimson editorial writer, was part of a production composed by and put together entirely by freshmen. From its start, the plot is carried by its zany characters, such as capital venturist Dolores B. Sciencecenter (Emily B. Hecht ’11) and the spastic game-show host Ken Karson (Mike A. Yashinsky ’11).

As the play progresses, the castaways begin to form a society led by the egomaniacal Brandon (Tony J. Sterle ’11), and only down-to-earth Cassandra (Caroline R. Giuliani ’11) can see the roots of tyranny taking place. As their society develops, Brandon seeks more power at the expense of the well-being of those around him. The play deftly weaves political commentary throughout the play, paralleling Brandon and other characters with both tyrants and the Bush regime. But more than anything, Cassandra’s normality in the midst of her fellow castaways’ outrageous single-mindedness keeps the play grounded.

Interspersed between scenes are musical numbers such as “Castaway” and “Shipwrecked Without a Wreck,” which show off the cast’s vocal skills. While a few of the notes in the lower range are unintelligible, most of the songs remained engaging despite the sometimes corny lyrics. Highlights include songs from Giuliani and Bess P. Rosen ’11, who has a surprising gem of a solo halfway through the play as the overly motherly Teresa Vandershmidt.

Amidst all this, “Castaways” also manages to sneak in a bit of satire on American culture, lampooning our blind belief in politics as well as our preoccupation with material goods. When the South American tour guides, in rather Italian accents, tell the tourists that the boat won’t be coming back, Brandon tells them not to be silly. “We’ve only paid half, so they’re bound to come back for the other half.”

But, the plot line does feature some clumsy twists. There never is an explanation for the island, and when the smoke monsters and polar bears come in a la “Lost” and we discover that the characters are sitting on a restless volcano, we know that this play is veering off the path of realism.

The play pokes fun at its own lapses in logic, and the actors make their characters so much their own that the audience is able to buy into it all. For a play that gives tribute to television shows such as “Lost” and “Survivor,” such indulgence is fitting—and, as with so much else in “Castaways,” a charming and amusing experience.

—Staff writer Rebecca A. Schuetz can be reached at schuetz@fas.harvard.edu.