Parody too often consists of just mockery. The best parody, though, comes from a place of love, a la Galaxy Quest or What We Do In The Shadows.
Golden Age by Thomas J. Misuraca is a loving parody of super heroes. Essentially the notion here focuses on some elderly superheroes, now in a retirement home, who find themselves under threat by an equally senior supervillain and must rouse themselves to act.
Clearly, this is a fun idea. Very fun. The potential here is pretty vast.
Much of that potential is achieved, but not all to be fair. And comedy being a very delicate thing, any time the humor strikes the wrong chord or misses out on just the right timing, it falls flat.
Fortunately, a lot of the humor does land, and more importantly the essential story works. The last three original members of the Power Heroes--who are not only still alive but fully aware rather than comatose--are Power Man (super strength and super senses), Lightning Lex (superspeed), and Mighty Girl (super strength and endurance). The former uses a walker now, while the middle is in a wheelchair. We also meet Kirby another residents at the retirement home who has donned a mask, taking the monicar "Mask Man" and wants to join them, clearly at least in part out of romantic interest in Mighty Girl--who reciprocates his attraction. Much to the grumbling dissent of the others.
But then their old nemesis Mr. Malevolent (hypnosis and can fire electricity) checks in to the very same retirement home, with a very dastardly plot in his diabolical mind! Adding to all this is Ruthie a very curmudgeonly resident, and Nurse Candy who falls under Mal's spell, becoming his eager Minion (she steals every scene she's in, going for syrupy sweet to delightedly cruel in a stunning about face).
Overall the cast does a good job--Jennifer Ashe, Elyse Ashton, Dennis Delsing, Barbera Ann Howard, Ignacio Navarro, David Brent Tucker, Richard Van Slyke, and Heather Vazquez. Honestly, the script could use another draft or two, because while the jokes are fine the interplay of characters and backstory are more interesting, yet end up under-developed. What is there is good, but leaves one wanting a lot more (one reason the second act is so short). Director Aurora Culver probably approached this challenge as well as could be.
So, an entertaining show in a genre we don't see in live theatre nearly as often as I myself would like!
Golden Age plays Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm until November 22, 2025 at Sawyer’s Playhouse, 11031 Camarillo St, North Hollywood, CA 91601
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