Clash of the Titans Parody Piles on the Laughs

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Anastasiya Vasyuta

Clash of the Titans is now playing at the Westport Plaza.

Summer is generally a time when people loosen up a little and look for fun, and Cherokee Street Theater Company gleefully leans into that mood with a campy, laugh-packed take on The Clash of the Titans. Most specifically, the parody-driven company turns its focus on an interpretation of the 1980s movie version of the story, complete with its own ‘mechanical’ owl. 

Perseus, the half-human, half-god son of Zeus, wants to save his beloved Andromeda from being sacrificed to appease Thetis, a nereid. To do so, he must defeat three foes: Calibos, Medusa and the Kraken. The gods observe all from their perch on Mount Olympus, occasionally intervening in the quest with obstacles and assistance. The company’s quick-paced interpretation delivers the story while amping up the fun with tongue-in-cheek ’80s pop culture references (the musical moments are particularly funny) and over-the-top campy comedy. Inventive puppetry, pratfalls and exaggerated characterizations add to the good time.

As Perseus, Ryan Lawson-Maeske showcases his exceptional physical comedy skills along with the cheesiest wig, blankest stare and toothiest smile in St. Louis. His reactions come across as both clueless and completely in character in ways that poke fun at the movie version. Ronald Dean Strawbridge’s Zeus is imperious, vain and proud of his son. Ever the philandering god, he struggles to remember wife Hera’s name, which gets great reactions from Fox Smith. She’s, frankly, over her husband though she has fun meddling at times. Smith’s Medusa is gleefully wicked, though she, like Zeus, is prone to fits of vanity. 

Payton Gillam is easy breezy as Aphrodite and Andromeda, Patience Davis fiery and scheming as Thetis and a spot on Dame Maggie Smith, while Nancy Nigh is protective of her beloved owl and a bit haughty and suspicious as Athena and Cassiopeia. Smith, Davis and Nigh also delight as the blind witches in a brief, hilarious scene with Lawson-Maeske. Joseph Garner effectively steals almost every scene he is in as Perseus’s mother, the grotesque Calibos and Bubo, the mechanical owl. Garner excels at portraying inanimate objects in a way that adds to the humor and fun. Rob McLemore, Stan Davis and Chuck Brinkley round out the ensemble in a variety of laugh-inducing moments. Suki Peters adapted and directed the witty show, which moves along briskly. Props master Stan Davis helps convey the story and video by Dan Foster, a period appropriate sound design by Ted Drury and Morgan Maul Smith, lighting by Joel Wilper and costumes by Kayla Lindsay add the final comic touches to a thoroughly engaging story. 

Leaping from Greek mythology to the silver screen to the stage, the company delivers the story with gusto and aplomb. It even developed a fun drinking game to accompany the show. If you are looking for a fun date night or family show that won’t break the bank and delivers mythology, campy nostalgia and abundant laughs, Clash of the Titans offers pitch perfect parody for all ages.