Ross Zentner
A person playing air guitar.
Marcus Truschinski in the the Forward Theater production "Airness," 2023.
In the words of every front man for a big hair metal band, “Are you ready to rock?”
Because rock you will, at Forward Theater’s current celebration of wailing guitars, face-melting power ballads, epic fandom, stage antics that slay, and audiences that go wild. With a greatest hits tour of music by Joan Jett, Bon Jovi, Guns N' Roses and even REO Speedwagon, you will be swept up in smoking hot riffs up and down the neck of Gibson Les Pauls...or any other instrument you can imagine.
In Chelsea Marcantel’s Airness, the guitars are imaginary, but the musicianship, passion and performances are real. This enormously entertaining story focuses on five quirky veterans on the competitive air guitar circuit and one newbie, whose perceptions about the sport are initially as misguided as her motives for learning how to “shred.” Fortunately the veteran true believers put her on the right path to achieve “airness” — the ultimate blending of music, moves and stage magic that transcend the original head-banging performance and approach “serious pretend” nirvana. Directed with contagious energy and ingenuity by Molly Rhode, this festival of rock music and geek culture runs through Feb. 12 in The Playhouse at Overture Center.
We meet the incongruous group of air guitar superstars as they prepare for yet another bout, but this time the competitors have an interloper in their midst. Nina (Nadja Simmonds) insists she decided to enter the showdown on a whim, and figures it can’t be that hard — after all, she’s an actual guitarist in a band. With no nickname, no costume, no “persona” and no idea what she’s gotten herself into, she meets the artists she’ll be competing against. There’s the audacious and idealistic Golden Thunder (James Carrington), delightfully square music snob Shreddy Eddy (Josh Krause), poetic glam rocker Facebender (Marcus Truschinski), and the ice princess with a degree in classical guitar, Cannibal Queen (Ashley Oviedo). And we find out later that Nina is already acquainted with the reigning U.S. champion, D Vicious (Joe Picchetti), who has decided he’s too cool for small town scuffles, so he’s sitting this competition out.
The rest of the play is about Nina honing her act with the help of her mentor, Shreddy Eddy, and the rest of the gang. Like Yoda training a young Jedi, Krause talks his student through the rules, techniques, and nuances of a great air guitar performance and the entire group takes turns explaining why this unusual art form is so important to them. As the initially clueless competitor whose inner rock goddess shines brightly by the end, Simmonds is a great stand-in for the audience, as we’re all schooled on the basics of airness. She’s also the woman we want to cheer for as she moves past a bad break-up with a guy who doesn’t deserve her.
Carrington is both hilarious and inspiring as Golden Thunder, the over-the-top showman who believes he can make the world a better place through his air guitar artistry. And with her whirling ponytail, sick guitar licks, and confrontational conversation style, Oviedo is a force of nature as Cannibal Queen. Although Pichetti’s dance moves are outrageously fun, he leans into D Vicious’s dark side, as a vindictive and conceited champion who loses his touch when he starts commodifying his airness. As Facebender, Marcus Truschinski rocks both ends of the tone spectrum. Initially he’s an overly dramatic, hopeless romantic whose biggest personal challenge is impressing a special member of the audience on his home turf. A few scenes later, he’s a guy with a soul-crushing job who drops the knock-off Shakespearean accent for a minute to explain why this sport and his alter ego are so vital to him — how they literally give his life meaning.
Colorful set design by Neil Mills gives audiences both the gritty, graffitied backstage lounge, filled with mismatched furniture, a collage of decals, and a grimy unattended bar, and the grandeur of an arena stage where the competitors strut their stuff. Neon signs decorate the proscenium along with names of the cities where the air guitar qualifying matches are held. (If you’re ever unsure about which metropolis we’re in on the road to the U.S. championships in New York, just glance up at the lighted marquee.) Lighting designer Greg Hofmann makes sure that each rock-star-in-their-own-mind gets to revel in the spotlight.
But it’s costume designer Shannon Heibler who really outdoes herself with outfits that allow each performer to truly embody their air guitar hero. Underneath his golden jacket, Golden Thunder has breakaway pants, sleeves and shirt fronts that give way to bedazzled messages (and even confetti!), giving him extra theatricality and driving home his message of love and unity in a sparkly way. A carefully frayed plaid shirt underneath a hand-painted Star Wars leather jacket gives Shreddy Eddy real nerd cred, which is only enhanced by the faded Dungeons and Dragons tee and Han Solo’s trademark Corellian stripes that line the outside seams of his jeans. Facebender’s romantic yearnings and fairy tale British accent are accented perfectly with a poet’s blouse, vest, and unkempt shoulder-length wig. And if there was any doubt that Cannibal Queen wasn’t here to make friends, her spike heeled boots, skin tight leather pants, and blue frock coat adorned with chains all make that abundantly clear. It wouldn’t be an homage to ’80s bands without spandex, and D Vicious pulls that off with aplomb. Finally, Nina's transformation from outsider to certified air guitar slayer is boosted immeasurably with her steampunk half-skirt, fauxhawk, and sparkly purple ensemble.
Ultimately, Airness is full of heart while being full-on funny. In the hands of Forward’s uber-talented cast, the wisecracks, dance moves and buffoonery are embraced 110 percent, allowing the few serious scenes to resonate even more profoundly by contrast. It’s also a ringing endorsement for play — for finding what brings you joy and pursuing it full force, no matter how odd it might seem to an outsider.
And now if you’ll excuse me, I have some choreo to work out for a Bon Jovi song that I remember rocking out to in high school. Mark my words, it’s gonna slay.
