It has been quite a while since I’ve left a theater feeling truly energized by the power and presence of this unique art form. Three phrases kept rolling over in my mind as I made my way out of the Silver Spring Black Box: This is what theater is all about. As many people as possible should see this production. What revolutionary work would Flying V be capable of accomplishing with more resources? Oz Heiligman, Lee Liebeskind, Isabelle Jennings-Pickering, and Jasmine Proctor showcase Astro Boy’s unique talents in ‘Astro Boy and the God of Comics.’ (Props & Puppetry by Oli Turner, Lighting by Dylan Uremovich, Costumes by Taylor S. Payne.) Photo by Kelly Colburn, Flying V. Astro Boy and the God of Comics by Natsu Onoda Power is a treatise on the complicated relationship between an artist and their creation. It is a love letter to comics and animation history, based on the life of Osamu Tezuka, the Father of Japanese Manga, and the characters he created. Featuring an ambitious marriage of traditional performance, athletic choreography, real-time drawing, interactive animation, puppetry, live camera feeds, projections, papercraft, and more, Flying V is truly in its element. Presented in reverse chronological order, the piece begins with the final episode of the Astro Boy animated series, sparking a slow burn that grows with intention and intensity as the story progresses backward through the birth of the Astro Boy character to the birth of the artist himself. I highly recommend arriving early so you can fully experience the pre-show created by the cast. Audience members are greeted in the lobby by bright music that could easily be from the closing credits of just about any popular anime. Upon entering the performance space, I was immediately immersed in a soundscape that tickled the most nostalgic parts of my millennial brain. Hidden within the accordion and flute music, I could hear the soft tinkling of wind chimes, the distinct creak and scrape of metal playground equipment, and the muffled voices of adults talking in the distance (Madeline “Mo” Oslejsek did the sound design). These are the sounds I remember hearing in the recesses of my own memory when I was deep in the world of a book as a child. Ensemble members begin to enter the space slowly, reading various issues of the Astro Boy comic book. They then invite us to read with them via live projections. As someone who knew very little about this particular comic and artist, it was a great introduction to the source material. It was also thrilling to see moments from these old strips brought to life later within the blocking of the production. (Back:) Isabelle Jennings-Pickering, Oz Heiligman, and Jasmine Proctor; (front:) Lee Liebeskind, and Janine Baumgardner. The ensemble recreates an episode of New Treasure Island through movement and onomatopoeia in ‘Astro Boy and the God of Comics.’ Photo by Kelly Colburn, Flying V. The performances by this ensemble cast — Janine Baumgardner, Oz Heiligman, Jennifer Knight, Lee Liebeskind, Isabelle Pickering, and Jasmine Proctor — were uniformly brilliant. They are a truly balanced group of actors, feeding off each other’s energy and creating space for each performer to stand out in their own specific moments. Despite the comic and kitschy surfaces of their many characters, the performers played each part with grim sincerity. From extreme accents and clownish facial expressions to the genuine sadness of a robot who cannot grow like a real boy, this ensemble shines in the contradictions they represent. This play thrives in the multimedia. I found myself consistently surprised and elated by the imaginative ways Director Dylan Arredondo and the designers played with theatrical conventions. Held together by the intrepid ensemble, the artistic team created a (mostly) seamless blend of live performance with technological innovation. The melding of projections (Mark Costello) and lighting (Dylan Uremovich) in particular was truly a sight to behold. One of the production’s most spectacular moments occurs while Tezuka is drawing comics under a desk during an air raid. The cast drew scenes of war in front of us while the cacophonous and overstimulating sights and sounds of war drowned the room. They created an overwhelming and visceral experience — exactly what that moment required — an experience that could only have been achieved in this kind of theatrical space.  The choreography of the performers as they experienced these disturbing, heartbreaking, and deathly moments of war, all while making art in front of us, depicted the difficult and disturbing relationship between war, trauma, and the artistic spirit. The ensemble depicts war through live drawing in ‘Astro Boy and the God of Comics.’ Photo by Kelly Colburn, Flying V. I must also note the work of the costume (Taylor S. Payne), scenery (Patti Kalil), and puppetry (Oli Brann) designers. The costumes often referenced old cartoons; Astro Boy’s costume in particular reminded me of something I would have seen at New York Comic Con. The scenic design was sparse to accommodate the various needs of the production’s multimedia camera setups while still creating an atmosphere that drew us into the many worlds the characters inhabited. And the puppets…oh the puppets! From paper crafts and miniature sets to monstrous fighting robots, the puppets and props were delightfully inspired. I do believe the piece could benefit from a bit more script development. I couldn’t decide if the goal of the play was to teach us about the life and work of Tezuka or if Tezuka’s story was simply a vehicle to create an interactive multimedia piece of art that pushed the boundaries of traditional theater. The slow-burning ember fueled through each episode did not lead to the explosive fire I was expecting. I wanted just a bit more about Tezuka, about Astro Boy, about the relationship between them, about the father-and-son connection they had. That is not to say that the production ended abruptly. The conclusion was strong and left the audience to draw their own conclusions, but I did wish to know more about the subjects when the lights came up. Astro Boy and the God of Comics asked a few simple questions: What is the role of a robot in a human society? Where is the line between artificial intelligence and emotional intelligence? Does a creator own the creation once the creation is given life? These are questions worth interrogating, especially in our contemporary world of Meta and ChatGPT, and the folks at Flying V pose these questions admirably. Whether you are a theater aficionado, a comics connoisseur, or completely unfamiliar with both art forms, I highly recommend finding your way out to Silver Spring to see Astro Boy at Flying V. You won’t regret it. Running Time: 70 minutes, no intermission. Astro Boy and the God of Comics plays through November 3, 2024, presented by Flying V performing at Silver Spring Black Box, 8641 Colesville Rd., Silver Spring, MD. Purchase tickets ($30) online. The program for Astro Boy and the God of Comics is online here. COVID Safety: Signs at the venue say masks are recommended. This production contains adult language (moderate), depictions of simulated gun violence, and references to adult topics including death and war. This production contains flashing lights, strobe effects, flashing projections, and loud sounds including gunshots and explosions. Astro Boy and the God of Comics  By Natsu Onoda Power Directed by Dylan Arredondo CAST Ensemble/Astro Boy: Janine Baumgardner Ensemble/Reporter: Oz Heiligman Ensemble/Tezuka: Jennifer Knight Ensemble/Elefun: Lee Liebeskind Ensemble/Announcer: Isabelle Pickering Ensemble/Reporter: Jasmine Proctor Ensemble Swing: Hannah Chester PRODUCTION TEAM Director: Dylan Arredondo Artistic Producers: Kelly Colburn & Joey Ibanez Production Manager: Ruben Vellekoop Scenic Design: Patti Kalil Costume Design: Taylor S. Payne Lighting Design: Dylan Uremovich Sound Design: Madeline “Mo” Oslejsek Projection Design: Mark Costello Properties & Puppetry Design: Oli Brann Production Stage Manager: Joshua Stout Assistant Stage Manager: Carolyn B. Emery