One of the most exciting things I, a middle-aged woman, have seen coming out of Hollywood is an increasing trend of female celebrities refusing to apologize for growing older—from Jamie Lee Curtis proudly going gray and filler-free to Pamela Anderson taking an anti-makeup stance and Julia Roberts publicly denouncing cosmetic enhancements. It’s a pleasure to see them continue landing lead roles in films while also challenging the long-held double standard that celebrates men who age well while sidelining women simply because they have the nerve to age.
Unfortunately, these women remain the exception, not the rule. Our society does not value age, nor the wisdom and confidence that come with it, which puts the aging woman through a kind of hell. That’s the idea conveyed by local actor/playwright Kell Kittell in his original musical, Club Inferno, now running at Brüka Theatre. The play, having enjoyed a successful Bay Area run that met with positive critical reception, is a tight, satisfyingly entertaining rumination on the topic.
Drawing upon Dante Alighieri’s The Inferno, the classic story of Dante’s journey through the nine circles of Hell, Club Inferno reimagines hell as a seedy nightclub that plays host to an aging female performer, Dante (Robin Soli), and her three insolent backup dancers (Heather Belanger, Serena Ojeda, and Alex Biber), who keep trying to steal the spotlight from the woman who put them there. When a spotlight falls and hits Dante on the head, knocking her to the ground, she finds herself in an unfamiliar land—Limbo, as it turns out, the land between Heaven and Hell where lost souls have a chance to repent. Like in Alighieri’s version, the poet Virgil appears (as one might imagine, in a white robe and carrying a lyre) to “ferry” Dante through the underworld. But in Kittell’s reimagined version, Virgil (played by Sean Bridges) is a nearly useless figure, blind to the dangers of the underworld while he rocks out on his lyre.
To assist their journey, Xaron (pronounced Car-ON), a devilish escort, arrives, not with a ferry but a “Hellavator” to propel them, one level at a time, through each of Hell’s nine circles. Xaron (Bella Mason) is a mischievous, wisecracking imp who provides needed insights about each location and its troublesome residents—many of whom are long-dead female celebrities with controversial reputations who died in infamous ways.
Take, for example, Cleopatra (Rachael Gottas), Lust’s reigning queen, who is punished for all eternity for having a sexual appetite; Karen Carpenter (Kelsey Mato) and Mama Cass (Kristina Worthley), the twin stars of Gluttony, whose different yet notorious battles with food wound up overshadowing their talents; and the little-known but memorable media evangelist Aimee Semple McPherson (Diana Bodine), who presides over Fraud.
In each realm, Dante and her escorts are treated to a musical recounting of their hosts’ sins and cautionary tales, with impressive rock stylings from Peter Fogel, Kitell’s partner who wrote the music and lyrics. Ultimately, through her long, winding journey, Dante must learn how to chart her own course and determine her own fate. Is her diva-licious lifestyle working for her, or should she give it up to avoid facing the same fate?
Despite its weighty subject matter, Club Inferno is pure entertainment, through and through. It maintains a whip-smart sense of humor, thanks in large part to Mason’s portrayal of Xaron, who has the difficult job of remaining on stage and in action from the minute she steps on stage until the play’s end, yet never failing to be a provocative source of laughter. Special acknowledgement also goes to Bodine’s show-stealing turn as the evangelist McPherson—a performance that makes you want to avoid blinking. I hope to see much, much more of her. Additionally, frequent Brüka choreographer Alex Biber takes a turn as Durga the Destroyer, the Hindu goddess also known as Shakti, who represents the divine feminine energy; Biber’s remarkable belly dance performance should not be missed.
With its lush costumes, imaginative settings and clever writing, Club Inferno is pure, hellacious fun.
Club Inferno is onstage at Brüka Theatre, 99 N. Virginia St., in Reno, through Nov. 1. Tickets are $35 with discounts for students, seniors and members of the military. For tickets and information, visit www.bruka.org.