Just so you know, "Up" is a play based on the life and family of a man who tied balloons to a lawn chair and ended up 16,000 feet in the air, not a stage adaptation of the 2009 Disney-Pixar cartoon with the same name. As long as you know this, you probably won't be confused for the entire first act by the lack of old men, little boys and flying houses. Not that I was. I can just imagine the confusion it might cause.
At times, "Up" is like a less annoying version of "Juno." There's a 16-year-old pregnant girl who wears quirky, look-at-me-I'm-an-individual clothes (that's right, she rocks the skirt and pants combo) and her socially awkward male counterpart. But there is actual dialogue between the characters, not just pseudo-witty "hip" banter.
But "Up" is more than its teenage characters. It's about real life, and that's why I like it.
The small, balloon-lined stage has a yellow, four-seated kitchen table to represent the Griffin's home, and on the other half of the stage is the red and gold armchair that is the home of Maria (the pregnant girl). Through its set's simplicity, "Up" shows the life of Walter Griffin, the man who went up. And with the audience surrounding the stage on three sides, it's easy to understand how trapped and empty Griffin feels after actualizing his wildest dream.
The play also tells the story of an average American family's day-to-day life. Walter (Tod Zimmerman) captures the awkwardness that comes with being the father of a teenager, and his son Mikey (Dylan Kammerer) experiences all the things you wish you could forget about being in high school and living at home: The girl you like leaves town, leaving just a note and an empty house behind, your dad can't find a job (or just doesn't want to), your parents won't stop fighting and sometimes people just steal your shit.
Maria (Jennifer Smith), a mysterious, French-speaking, unwed teen mother, reminds me of the girls I wasn't allowed to have sleepovers with in elementary school. Though getting kicked out of the house by her drunk mother may be a reason to excuse her from her consistent shadiness, I'm not sure if I like her or if her actions are justified.
"Up" won't give you any answers, but it will make you think. Even if you don't like plays, there are a few hilarious that's-what-she said moments in it for you. Try if you can catch this one: "I love the way it feels in your mouth." Hint: it's in the first act.
"Up" will be at the Hippodrome through Sept. 27. Student tickets are $12.
