Wolves are at the door, and a group of pilgrims waits out the night by sharing stories in a tavern. These aren’t any ordinary travelers, though: They’re tarot cards brought to life, waiting for sunrise so they can set off toward the holy site of Canterbury.
Aside Theatre’s latest play is an experimental journey that serves as an exciting reminder of what smaller theaters have to offer. While many larger venues play it safe, performing plays that have already proven to sell seats, Aside Theater instead takes a chance on an experimental, surreal script written by a local playwright — and it pays off in spades.
Ashley Naftule’s “The Canterbury Tarot” is a journey with exciting highs and emotional lows. Complex, zany and surreal, it gives its colorful cast a feast of opportunities to show off their skills.
And they do, pouring passion into the wildly unique stories, from a tale of two horny dolls who fall under the Devil’s spell (told by Indy Price’s zany Fool) to an intense monologue about the famously unhinged Sarah Winchester (delivered by Marcella Grassa’s theatrical Empress).
Just as tarot cards display beautiful artwork for their many different types, so too are the characters adorned with impressive costumes that mark their unique qualities. There’s the lusty Star (Jo Anna T. Lawless), with her creamy white tutu, who insists that stories can be told through body language rather than words. There’s the guarded Tower (Dennis Frederick), who wears a construction cap, a tool belt and a shirt with a tower print, and puts off his story until the very end.
I didn’t find a costume designer in the playbook, but whoever was in charge of fitting the characters deserves props. They all look great, from Alejandro Sanchez Vega’s moody Death, who wears skull makeup and sports a dark, grungy ensemble, to Dilcia Yáñez’s vivacious Wheel of Fortune, whose bright clothes and rosy headband visually mark her as the cast’s cheerful straight woman.
The titular mention of Canterbury may give the impression that this is a historical play taking place long ago. But Naftule’s surreal script takes place in what feels like another dimension over multiple periods in time. Their stories touch upon timeless qualities like greed, love, murder and morality. The Tower’s riveting story is that of the earth, from Joan of Arc’s murder to the lives lost in 9/11. Yáñez’s Wheel of Fortune pokes fun at the Empress and the Chariot (Mona Swan LeSuer), who her story paints as a pair of kinky, doomed pilgrims. At one point, Star mocks Empress by yelling out, “Eat the rich,” at which point my friend beside me nodded in approval.
Director Ernesto Moncada’s “Canterbury Tarot” is an incredibly fun piece of local theater that’s worth watching. With wide coverage of timeless topics and warring philosophies, it’s both funny and thought-provoking. A shorter play called “Cask and Crypt” precedes “Canterbury Tarot” and warms the audience up with a hilarious story about two goths struggling to sell their sin-eating and undertaking services.
Contact the reporter at sosulli2@asu.edu.
