Creator and performer Peter Michael Marino is no stranger to long time NoPro readers, with the team having reviewed his fun for the whole family piece Show Up, Kids way back in 2019.
During the time that we were all online, Marino developed Planet of the Grapes, his “epic, tabletop, sci-fi adventure,” as a piece that played out over Zoom.
Now Marino and director Michole Biancosino are transforming the show into live, in-person experience that brings all kinds of tools and tricks to the table.
Before we get to spoiling anything, including some interesting ties between the show and a mostly-lost Victorian interactive theatre tradition, let’s check in with Marino about the new show which pops up in Manhattan July 16-19.
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NO PROSCENIUM: Tell us a little bit about your experience! What’s it about? What makes it immersive?
Peter Michael Marino: Planet of the Grapes is an epic, tabletop, sci-fi adventure. An astronaut crash-lands on a strange planet ruled by speaking grapes who enslave mute humans and soon learns the shocking truth about their warped world. It’s inspired by the 1968 film Planet of the Apes”- only this time the apes are grapes and the humans are ... corks.
The show began as a live, digital lockdown show, clocking in 50+ performances – but it had never been performed for a live audience. So, director Michole Biancosino and I decided to hatch this new, live-in-person, interactive version.
Since the stage is a cutting board and the characters are tiny, we devised ways for the audience to become part of the show. They help us tell the story using props – from paper planes to (fake) human body parts. They help with natural disaster scenes. One audience member puppets a giant grape judge character. We plunge them into a blacklight scene where they become excavators. The previews elicited a “Rocky Horror” type of response ... booing the bad guys, cheering the underdog, etc., and we’re adding even more audience participation.
NP: What was the inspiration for your upcoming experience?
PMM: The major inspirations for Planet of the Grapes were the original ‘68 film and the Victorian Era’s Toy Theater movement where folks assembled cardboard kits at home which contained proscenium, backdrops, characters, and scripts and perform the shows for their family and friends. Since we launched the show during lockdown and people were craving live theater, it seemed fitting. As for the title? I was in Theatresports New York back in the 90s and there was a challenge called “Planet of the Grapes” where the improvisors had to do a scene with grapes squashed between their lips and gums. I couldn’t shake that title, so I made a show out of it.
NP: What do you think fans of immersive will find most interesting about this latest experience?
PMM: I think they’ll be interested in the Toy Theater aspect, but I hope they’ll also be enchanted with the different styles of puppets and puppetry - and how the action leaps off the stage. The themes of science vs. religion, global warming, animal rights, and man’s sense of entitlement are peppered throughout, and I think the absurd comedy styles and child-like whimsy of the show allows those themes to shine without being didactic.
NP: Once you started designing and testing what did you discover about this experience that was unexpected?
PMM: We totally re-designed the digital version which had very detailed sets and simple character designs. Here, it’s reversed – the sets are simpler so as to not be “muddy,” and the characters are bolder and more colorful. They didn’t have googly eyes in the digital version like they do now. (Note – don’t use googly eyes on rubber grapes unless you have a large selection of glue. Also, expect them to fall off regularly).
Since going from digital to live, we added audience interaction elements. I spent time at the Lincoln Center Performing Arts Library pouring over very old books about Toy Theater, and one of the things that struck me was how many of those Victorian performers often involved the audience. Almost like a British Panto. We are also using the audience to help tell the story - to make it feel bigger and more visceral. We added an additional performer who bridges the space between the cutting board and the audience. We call them the “Planeteer.” As a long-time solo performer, it’s great to interact with another actor on stage.
NP: What can fans who are coming to this, or thinking about coming to this, do to get into the mood of the experience?
PMM: While one does not need to be at all familiar with any of the “Planet of the Apes” movies, I would still suggest watching the ’68 film with Charlton Heston that started it all. It’s a beautiful film, it revolutionized makeup techniques, and the performances are all top-notch. I do not recommend watching the Tim Burton version. Sorry, Tim. I also recommend checking out the Great Small Works folks. They create amazing toy theater shows and more. Also check out the World Encyclopedia of Puppetry Arts’ Toy Theater page. Great history lesson!
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