Pages

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

WARP! The FIRST Sci-Fi Epic on Broadway!

In 1971, Chicago's acclaimed Organic Theatre Company produced a trio of plays inspired by Marvel Comics, particularly Dr. Strange and Mighty Thor, under the umbrella title WARP!
Billing the trilogy as "the world's first science fiction epic-adventure play in serial form", the three plays did boffo box office and won numerous Chicago theatrical awards.
It seemed like a no-brainer to take the production to New York, where local talent could enhance both the production values and on-stage talent.
The first of the three plays, "My Battlefield! My Body!" opened in February, 1973 and, unfortunately, closed that same month.
Considering the talent involved in this project, including original writer / director Stuart Gordon (ReAnimator), NY production art director Neal Adams (Batman / X-Men / Green Lantern & Green Arrow) and actors John Heard (Sopranos, Prison Break), Keith Szarabajka (Equalizer), Stephen Williams (X-Files, 21 Jump Street), it's astounding that it didn't take off like, dare I say, a rocket!
But, it didn't, and all that survives today are some playbills and the incredibly-hard to find poster, illustrated by Neal Adams!
We have one of these posters, acquired in the late 1970s, and decided to make a couple of shirts emblazoned with it for ourselves and friends.
The response has been so overwhelming ("Where did you get that? Can I get one?") that we are now offering it to other pop culture aficinados!
If you're a fan of Broadway theatre, sci-fi, comics, or just like a kool shirt, have a look!

(Note: there was a spinoff comic book series from First Comics in the 1980s which adapted the trilogy and provided an ending to the story.)

No comments:

Post a Comment

Thanx for posting!