One-Man Star Wars Trilogy review: The Force can only do so much.

By Jenn Wohletz Fri., Dec. 30 2011 at 9:46 AM

Categories: Comment of the Day, Film, Performance, Popular Culture, Theater

Courtesy of Charlie Ross

The road to Alderon was paved with good intentions, as was One-Man Star Wars Trilogy, but unfortunately the Force can't fix everything.

Charlie Ross's solo adaptation of the first (not the second, thank Emperor Palpatine!) Star Wars trilogy was presented to a packed house at the Lone Tree Arts Center, and most of the older-generation patrons seemed to dig it (the same people who got to see the original trilogy in theaters), but I found it less interesting than a night in the Sarlacc. Ross's creativity and genuine love of the movies were apparent, but the play never hit light-speed.

There are obvious limitations to what one actor can do when putting on a seventy-minute show by himself, but the lack of props, schizophrenic dialogue and odd lighting (there was a red doily-looking light pointed on him so as to indicate he was in the Death Star) made things a little awkward. And Ross's jokes wereso lame that Obi-Wan would have used a light-saber to get him off the stage.

"I have a bad feeling about this."

I really wanted to like the performance; I figured anyone that into the Star Wars movies would have to bring something pretty spectacular to the table (and note that I'm a Star Wars geek myself) but I had trouble keeping up with the coked-out Robin Williams-speed of Ross's delivery and his so-so character impressions. He did a decent British accent a la Darth Vadar, but his portrayal of the doomed tauntaun was unconvincing -- I suggest method acting on that for his next performance.