Wipeout
A surf comedy with heart at Studio Theatre.
Wipeout is the story of a trio of women, lifelong friends, all sixty-plus, as they take to the Pacific waves for their first-ever surfing lesson. One of the women, Claudia, is giving herself an early birthday present; surfing lessons. Floating in the Pacific isn’t entirely her speed, but she’s decided it’s a great way to get her two old friends, Gary and Wynn, to both show up. They are joined in the ocean by surfing-instructor Blaze, a handsome 19-year-old surfer-boy, who is going to teach them to surf. Together the women look at their lives, where they are, what they missed, and where they are going. Wynn gets Blaze to look at his own life a little to, in the process.
The playwright Aurora Real De Asua, calls it a surf comedy. It definitely has its humor, but it is the serious parts you end up thinking about as you leave the theater. How as one gets older you find your truths, some of which you may have missed in your younger years. The women try to settle some old scores among themselves, and find they really need each other as they get older.
It is directed by the very talented Danilo Gambini, who I wrote about when he first joined Studio as Associate Artistic Director. This is his first directing stint here, and from what I hear, there may be only one more, as he will be leaving Studio in the not all that distant future. Based on his direction of this play, they will be losing a real talent.
Claudia is played by Naomi Jacobson, Wynn by Delissa Reynolds, and Gary by Katherine Cortez. They are all great actresses in their own right, and you are mesmerized by each as they reveal their truths, and interact with each other. Then there is Blaze, played by Alec Ludacka. While it doesn’t hurt that he is really good looking, you quickly realize he is much more than that. He is a brilliant actor who easily holds his own and more, against the three very talented women. He moves with grace and agility, as he shows off his surfing moves, whether it’s on the stage, the couch, or on a table. He even sings at the end of the show. For me, the beginning of the play was a little slow, but it all really started to come together with Blaze’s arrival. He gets the women, and us, to realize the vastness of the ocean and its waves, are in some ways symbolic of how we all live, and survive our lives. Studio Theatre’s Artistic Director, David Muse, says, “But beyond its comedy, Aurora has crafted a very funny, very true play about the mysteries of aging, of friendship, and of the ocean.” I would agree.
The creative team is great. Set design by Jimmy Stubbs; Costume design, Valerie Therese Bart; Lighting design, Andrew R. Cissna; Sound design, Bailey Trierweiler & Uptown Works; and Fight and Intimacy consultant, Jenny Male.
Wipeout will be at the Studio Theatre through July 27, 2025. You get a warning from the theater that this production of Wipeout includes nontoxic vaping, loud music, and controlled water spray, some of which might hit the audience. Definitely don’t let any of that worry you. I would urge you to get your tickets quickly, because as word of mouth about this play gets out, it will sell out really fast. Tickets are available online.
