BWW Reviews: TEAM OF HEROES 3 at Annex Suffers Lack of Pace and Plot

The conclusion of the "Team of Heroes" Trilogy, "Team of Heroes: No More Heroes" currently playing at Annex Theatre has swooped in to save us all, but it could use some saving of its own. Yes, all of your favorite damaged superheroes and super villains are there as well as little gimmicks and tricks to make the audience squeal, but unfortunately the show slowly plods along with no direction or purpose and ultimately fizzles.

It's been a rough road for the remaining members of the team, Shockwave and Alecto (Nik Doner and Libby Barnard) since the death of their fellow heroes The Cap'n and Madame Mayhem (Jason Sharp and Tracy Leigh). They haven't seen each other in months, Shockwave has lost his powers and is forced to make money any way he can, and heroes in general are no longer in the public favor. But Alecto is determined to find out answers about her parents and where her powers come from and so she enlists the help of Shockwave and the Team's former handler Melody (Alyssa Keene) to find the answers. Along the way they encounter former enemies such as Chaos Theory (Rachel Jackson) and her puppet minion Mr. Randy, Alecto's not so imaginary friend Piggy Pig (Curtis Eastwood) and a genetically engineered ape, H8 (Sam Hagen) who seems to know more than he should. But they also discover that they're not the only ones interested in Alecto's powers as the mysterious Accountant (also played by Hagen) has sent his henchmen to secure the hero for his own nefarious plans.

The show makes three assumptions. First that you have fore knowledge of the first two plays. They say it's not needed but to keep things straight like why there is a giant talking pig on stage, it helps. Second, that you're drunk otherwise the excruciatingly slow pacing would be a problem. And third, that your brain is firmly in the off position (which the second one can help with as well) as the story is filled with more plot holes and contrivances than you can shake a death ray at. Now I know what you're saying, "Jay, lighten up, it's a goofy comic book play." Hey, I'm all for silly but writer Alexander Harris and director Jaime Roberts seem to rely on that attitude and the cachet from the previous two plays a little too much as the gimmicks come out of nowhere and don't always pay off, the fight scenes and action sequences go on for days and don't amount to much and that pace, oh that pace. Let me just say that you could drive trucks through some of those pauses. Not to mention their incessant overuse of projections that did nothing but slow the show down even further. All culminating into two (yes two) anti-climactic endings.

The cast does what it can with what it's given. Doner is quite likable and earnest and manages the best with walking that line between overselling the comedy and conveying the emotion. And he and Barnard play off each other well. Sharp and Leigh are their usual hysterical over the top "heroes" and even manage some lovely moments of compassion. Knox and Jackson manage some wickedly self centered and evil moments. Eastwood is adorably ridiculous as the giant talking pig. And Hagen turns in a wonderfully engaging scene (one of the few I was really able to get into) as the overly erudite chimp.

But as much as I appreciate and admire the heroes (and villains) I wish they had been able to end on a more coherent and engaging note. Instead they ended with a show that was full of sound and fury but ultimately signified nothing. All I can say is at least they didn't insist on using that ever present zip line again.

"Team of Heroes: No More Heroes" performs at Annex Theatre through May 25^th. For tickets or information visit them online at www.annextheatre.org.

Photo credit: Ian Johnston

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