Ragnarok
Ragnarok (also known as Goterdammerung in Norse mythology, the end of times) is all about geeky boys role playing in the basement, taking up their nerfish (nerdish) swords for Live Action Role Play (LARP). They develop a website and get new people to play with them. The first ones are sisters with Elf identities. One's tongue had been cut out so she is mute. The former Dungeon Master of the D&D game gets apoplectic in the presence of girls.
The second group to join them has an arrogant guy who calls them "Noobs" (for newbies) and has no respect. The two who come with him are a tall straight-talking black guy and a sorceress, who tries to get it on with two of the three available guys (there were four original gamers). With the first one, she doesn't get past a kiss. He stops her and says, in essence, "This isn't going any farther. I value the group more than a relationship with you." The other says, really? You like me? And hooks up with her. Until he gets it that the arrogant guy is really her boyfriend. Too late, he calls it off. She tries to take over the group as leader and oust the main character. The guy she hit on first loses respect for him and starts hanging out with another group.
I totally liked the geek sisters. The talkative one names the way girls will use sex to split up a group, hooking up with one and then another guy in the group (all of the guys are fine with this, by the way, except the former DM, of course). As things develop, the talkative one hooks up with him and her sister finally talks to the main character. Turns out, she had been a drug addict and her sister brought her into role playing as part of her recovery. Since she didn't have a personality that was separate from the drug life, she decided being mute would give her a chance to find out who she was in a different context. I thought this was the meat of the story. Boys start out in these games to find a personality that is separate and grander than their suburban limitations, but she made a conscious decision to adopt this ridiculous stance in order to be reborn as a new person, precious and free, as they say in recovery. The DM with arrested development is amazing. I thought his Bard narrator was reminiscent of Beowulf. He pulls out all the stops and throws himself into his part. The main character does more narration than one would want in a play, but it was necessary. While he introduces the characters and defines their idiosyncrasies, they freeze. About the new people, you get their story in dialogue.
The play begins with a girlfriend offstage telling the main character to get ready, they're packed and moving. In the trunk onstage is his gear, which he unpacks and begins to reminisce about the group. At the end, he's packed and you know who will come out and take him off into the sunset. I don't think anyone but someone who was involved in role playing could have gotten this guy.
I called Damehexe with a strong recommendation to go see the play. I'd like to buy 5 tickets (That's $100!) for the whole famdamily, but they are going to have to go on their own. Soon. It closes December 10 at the 10th Avenue Theater. Go see it or be forever consigned to irredeemable geekhood! http://www.circle2dot2.com
The second group to join them has an arrogant guy who calls them "Noobs" (for newbies) and has no respect. The two who come with him are a tall straight-talking black guy and a sorceress, who tries to get it on with two of the three available guys (there were four original gamers). With the first one, she doesn't get past a kiss. He stops her and says, in essence, "This isn't going any farther. I value the group more than a relationship with you." The other says, really? You like me? And hooks up with her. Until he gets it that the arrogant guy is really her boyfriend. Too late, he calls it off. She tries to take over the group as leader and oust the main character. The guy she hit on first loses respect for him and starts hanging out with another group.
I totally liked the geek sisters. The talkative one names the way girls will use sex to split up a group, hooking up with one and then another guy in the group (all of the guys are fine with this, by the way, except the former DM, of course). As things develop, the talkative one hooks up with him and her sister finally talks to the main character. Turns out, she had been a drug addict and her sister brought her into role playing as part of her recovery. Since she didn't have a personality that was separate from the drug life, she decided being mute would give her a chance to find out who she was in a different context. I thought this was the meat of the story. Boys start out in these games to find a personality that is separate and grander than their suburban limitations, but she made a conscious decision to adopt this ridiculous stance in order to be reborn as a new person, precious and free, as they say in recovery. The DM with arrested development is amazing. I thought his Bard narrator was reminiscent of Beowulf. He pulls out all the stops and throws himself into his part. The main character does more narration than one would want in a play, but it was necessary. While he introduces the characters and defines their idiosyncrasies, they freeze. About the new people, you get their story in dialogue.
The play begins with a girlfriend offstage telling the main character to get ready, they're packed and moving. In the trunk onstage is his gear, which he unpacks and begins to reminisce about the group. At the end, he's packed and you know who will come out and take him off into the sunset. I don't think anyone but someone who was involved in role playing could have gotten this guy.
I called Damehexe with a strong recommendation to go see the play. I'd like to buy 5 tickets (That's $100!) for the whole famdamily, but they are going to have to go on their own. Soon. It closes December 10 at the 10th Avenue Theater. Go see it or be forever consigned to irredeemable geekhood! http://www.circle2dot2.com