Cockroach gets boost in esteem, altitude in 'B-52'
By Derek Paiva
Advertiser Entertainment Writer
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| Even bees (such as Stephanie Kong, left) look down on Kimo the cockroach (Charles Timtim) in "How da B-52 Cockroach Learned to Fly," a Lisa Matsumoto play returning to the stage after nine years.
Andrew Shimabuku 'How Da B-52 Cockroach Learned To Fly' 7 p.m. today; 4 and 7 p.m. Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday Kennedy Theatre $15 general; $12 seniors, military, UH faculty/staff; $10 non-UH-Manoa students, children; $3 UHM students 956-7655 Also: 4 and 7 p.m. Sept. 25; 2 p.m. Sept. 26. A 6 p.m. pre-show chat takes place Sept. 25. |
"It's that time of the year when there seems to be a lot of 'B-52s,' " the children's theater director said of the warm months when our largest local cockroaches fancy themselves Charles Lindberghs and our living rooms the Atlantic Ocean.
"They land on the wall and just sit there for a while. You never know when they're going to take off. And then they just dive bomb you! They just start flying!"
Montgomery spoke from the experience of once having five of 'em to deal with in her living room ... simultaneously.
"It was NOT fun!" she said.
It was, however, the kind of life experience that left Montgomery uniquely qualified to direct local playwright Lisa Matsumoto's "How da B-52 Cockroach Learned to Fly." Based on Matsumoto's children's book, "B-52" returns to the Kennedy Theatre stage tonight after a nine-year absence.
It's got a new score closer to post-millennial music tastes, a spiffy new set with ramps that take the action into the audience, and a few new characters.
"It's the story of Kimo the cockroach and how he and his fellow cockroaches try to find their place in the insect kingdom," said Montgomery.
Seems that even in insect society, nobody likes cockroaches. The problem? They lack purpose.
Matsumoto's inventive mind imagines grasshoppers as expert basketball players, crickets as adept symphonic musicians, and praying mantises as searchers for inner peace. But cockroaches? Nothing.
Nothing, that is, until Kimo discovers that not only can he fly, but that he has a knack for precision flying.
"So Kimo organizes the other roaches, and they become the Courageous Aiah Combat Avengers," said Montgomery.
Uh-huh, C.A.C.A., for short. And, of course, C.A.C.A.'s targets of choice immediately become that most vicious enemy of the insect kingdom: humans.
"In the end, they're so successful, they finally earn their place in the insect kingdom," Montgomery said.
Originally titled "Das How Come" in its 1995 run, "B-52" was conceived as one piece of a three-tale play explaining eternal questions of the local mind. How did the mongoose get its tail? Why do centipedes have so many legs?
When Matsumoto's B-52 tale grew too lengthy for an hour-long musical with three stories, the duo decided the story would instead be the first part of a "Das How Come" series.
Matsumoto's book and musical proved solid successes, but she and Montgomery never pursued writing other "Das How Come" stories. And so a decade later, they revisit their original story with fond memories.
"What I like about the play is that it has a message about life, which I've always felt was really important to have in my work for children," said Montgomery. "The message here is to believe in yourself.
"The sense you take away from the play is that if you try hard, keep pursuing your dreams and believe that you can do things, your dreams will come through."
Montgomery wouldn't make any promises, but hinted "B-52" might even make audience members think twice the next time they find themselves rolling up a copy of TGIF for a whack.
"All I can tell you is I've had a few cast members say that they look differently at roaches now," insisted Montgomery, laughing. "They're not as mean to them. Some don't feel like they have to whack 'em. Roaches aren't the villains that they were before.
"That was hysterical."
Reach Derek Paiva at dpaiva@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8005.
