Ride the Cyclone: Stage Wright's Fall Production 2023 (updated)

By Jessica Gramajo and Jasmine Coleman

Are you ready for the ride of your life? Well, neither were these teenagers when they rode the Cyclone that tragically resulted in their sudden deaths. This very much anticipated play production was one not to forget. The play showcases a great tale on how, in death, you can reflect on your life, what you did, and who you were.

(Photo courtesy: Patrick Ham

Caption: The Amazing Karnak played by Logan Gonzalez)

The former six choir members are greeted by a mysterious mechanical fortune-teller, the Amazing Karnak, as they enter an otherworldly dimension which they cannot escape from. Or so they think. The Amazing Karnak, who is slowly but surely running out of time thanks to a rat chewing away at his cable cord, hastily makes them vote on the resurrection of all but one person by singing their hearts out! Filled with quirky personalities, edgy humor, and lighthearted topics, such as death and failed dreams, Ride the Cyclone: The Musical promises to take you on the ride of six unfortunate lives.

Stage Wright presents Ride the Cyclone: The Musical, written by Brooke Maxwell and Jacob Richmond, directed by Kristen Williams, who has been a professor and theater director for 17 years at City Colleges of Chicago. Stage Wright's production staff, crew and band effortlessly executed the whimsical essence of this musical by giving it their all and dedicating countless hours and an unimaginable amount of talent.

(Photo courtesy: Patrick Ham

Left to right: Mads Pouska, Carson Emily Starcevic, PJ Watson, Daejah, Leiana Carrasco-Ramos, Max Rue, Logan Gonzalez)

The contrasting mise en scène of psychedelic lights, dark-lit warehouse and unorthodox dialogue will keep you on the edge of your seat as the story progresses along. The characters of the play were all unique in a Breakfast Club film type of way. A group of contrasting personalities who have all lived through remarkably different experiences are faced with an abrupt end to their destination. Who will these unfortunate souls choose to save when they are beckoned with the option to save themselves?

Assumptions about self, perception from others, and unfulfilled dreams are some themes noticed in the musical. In life, everyone plays a role, whether it be friendly, studious, or invisible. The musical portrays that, and you can see yourself one way while others see you in a contrasting way.

In “Noel’s Lament”, Noel, played by Mads Pouska, details how he was not able to be his full self before the accident, and now he won’t be truly free. Noel’s story encompasses the teenage plight of being another and not really fitting in. There is a time when everyone does not fit in, but for some, it is their whole lives, and it’s disheartening. He wanted a life of passion and spontaneity, but the hold of being different in a small town was too much to unseal his identity.

The details in the character of Constance, portrayed by Leiana Carrasco-Ramos, give the greatest notion that you cannot assume the appearance of someone to be a fact. The character is simply a nice girl. A nice girl, who took for granted her life and family. Who instead treated her life as if it were nothing and beneath everyone else.

The audience is shown how the teenagers' lives were cut short by the accident; they were never given the chance to transform into how they truly saw themselves. They never got the chance to grow or experience life beyond the confines of their town. It was a tragedy how their identities were based on others more so than themselves through their own discovery. It is the fact that only in death were they able to project how they saw themselves on the inside.

(Photo courtesy: Patrick Ham

Caption: The Ballad of Jane Doe)

The cast of distinct yet relatable characters became a conflict even in the afterlife amongst themselves. The conflict being that only one individual may be granted a second chance at life. The Karnak explains a reversal of the initial rules, and then watchers see a change in the character of Ocean, played by Carson Emily Starcevic. Once a living know-it-all, the patronizing girl turned dead and was suddenly faced with the choice of a lifetime. There is an undeniable shift of sympathy in the characters that leads them to vote for Jane Doe’s chance at life, Jane Doe was played by Daejah. The growth of Ocean’s character came as a shocking surprise, but it shows that even in death, it is not too late to be kind. Ride the Cyclone: The Musical brings to light the values of just how important self-exploration is for your identity because when you do not live life authentically now, you might not get another chance to do so.