By Ella Greene of Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology

It’s game on at McLean High School as eggplants, princesses, and a platypus bring an electronic world to life in the fourth-ever production of “Claudio Quest.”

Inspired by the classic video game Super Mario, Drew Fornarola and Marshall Pailet’s “Claudio Quest” won six awards at the New York Musical Theatre Festival in 2015, the most a show won that year.  “Claudio Quest” tells a lively and authentic story about the pressure of being in the spotlight as “Player #1.” As Claudio meets obstacles on his path to save Princess Poinsettia, younger siblings Luis and Princess Fish find themselves forced into the spotlight and given new opportunities to shine.

The villainous yet amiable character of Bruiser was played with unparalleled bravado by Idil Erdogan. From a gruff voice and jarring anger at Claudio’s continued success to a reflective, softer tone when singing about love interest Princess Poinsettia, Erdogan created a dynamic, emotional journey punctuated with comedic moments. Erdogan dominated the stage during “Platypus Heart,” bringing extravagant dancing and strong vocals to highlight the suggestive innuendos. Following the death of Claudio, Erdogan’s performance of this song revamped the energy of the show while showing a new side to the character.

The main protagonist trio of Noah Chlan (Claudio), Nathan Bass (Luis), and Miranda Simpson (Princess Fish) emulated video game characters while bringing humanity to each role. Chlan’s decisive, robotic jumps over obstacles contrasted with his fear when he lost a life, while Simpson used hyperbolic confidence and animated facial expressions to communicate her deep desire to be included during the song “Super Fish.” Bass portrayed a hurt Luis, tired of the repetition of living in his brother’s shadow, while still maintaining a more restricted walking pattern and movements. All three actors’ ability to contrast human and electronic elements of their characters was remarkable.

Charlotte Carson as Little Bro used incredible nuance to connect to video game counterpart Luis. Whether the two were synchronizing wide smiles, shifting from tension to relaxation, or fearfully adjusting their hats backwards, Carson infused Little Bro with an unsteady confidence and hopefulness that mirrored Nathan Bass’s fearful yet encouraged Luis.

Detailed costumes by Izzy Boon, Anushka Parashar, Jane Shanks, and Kyra Taube made each featured character unique despite the small ensemble and quick costume changes. The use of a stark black base costume was a dramatic contrast to a vibrant video game palette of dark purples, bright greens, and harsh reds. Stage manager Rebecca Sullivan kept the show running smoothly, an impressive feat given that there were over 1700 light cues alone. Despite minimal room for error given the performance taking place in McLean’s Black Box, cues seemed natural and simultaneous. Each time Claudio died, the lights turned red, an electronic sound effect played, and Claudio reacted, in perfect conjunction.

Elevated by exuberant acting and technical precision, McLean High School crafted a seamless link between the game world and reality to tell a compelling story about the importance of individuality within teamwork.

By Asha Das of Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology

Never fear, Eggplant People! The great hero Claudio defeated the evil villain Bruiser and saved Princess Poinsettia for the three hundred and seventh time. In McLean High School’s production of “Claudio Quest,” video game characters come to life to redefine what it really means to be a hero.

Inspired by the classic Nintendo game Super Mario Bros, “Claudio Quest” follows the burnt-out video game protagonist Claudio and his younger brother Luis as they embark on yet another journey to save Princess Poinsettia with the help of her younger sister, Fish, and their drag queen dinosaur sidekick, Y. The show was a part of the New York Musical Theater Festival’s 2015 season, where it won 6 awards, making it the most-awarded production that year.

As the first-ever amateur production of this show, McLean had a lot to live up to, but exceeded every expectation with skilled acting, detailed tech elements, and elaborate special effects. Every aspect of the show, including the actors’ animated movements, brightly colored costumes and makeup, and video game sound effects, transformed McLean’s black box theater into the 8-bit world of Claudio Quest.

Nathan Bass shone as Luis, the sidekick forever stuck in his older brother’s shadow. In songs such as “Player Two” and “Warp Tube,” Bass demonstrated both his strong, expressive voice and emotional acting. His heartbreaking facial expressions revealed Luis’s secret longing to be Player One. His performance was complemented by Miranda Simpson’s energetic and enthusiastic portrayal of the rebellious Princess Fish. Simpson balanced comedic moments such as pretending to be a guy to sneak onto Luis and Claudio’s adventure with more vulnerable ones as Fish struggles to live up to expectations, creating a dynamic and relatable character. Together, Simpson and Bass played off each other to create an endearing banter throughout the show, making their swoon-worthy kiss at the end all the more satisfying.

Idil Erdogan stole the show as the princess-kidnapping platypus Bruiser. Characterized by overdramatic movements and angry outbursts, Erdogan’s performance brought a healthy dose of humor to each scene, whether it was raging about not being a bird or complaining to therapist Elgafink (Franny Hemsley) about the unrequited love for Princess Poinsettia. In Bruiser’s song “Platypus Heart,” Erdogan commanded attention with a powerful voice, clean and energetic dance moves, and perfect comedic timing of each innuendo.

Strong ensemble characters tied the show together. Franny Hemsley’s impeccable Jersey accent as the therapist Elgafink made the character memorable and hilarious. As eggplant Boof, Emma Weinshall perfectly depicted a perky instructional character from a video game with an upbeat tone while declaring that no, you cannot skip this screen.

Special effects by Ethan Jones, Alessandro Martinat-Pillhaca, and Megan Wright amplified the video game setting. Screens in the background of the set displayed the number of lives each character had remaining, as well as shifting to provide a changing backdrop. The animations drew inspiration from classic Super Mario displays and allowed for scenes such as Y’s descent into lava that would have been difficult to show using only traditional set pieces. Additionally, the team utilized fake snow falling from the ceiling to represent the characters crossing into the Ice World and sparklers that blazed at the end of “Claudio Saved the Day,” showcasing the impressive technical abilities of McLean’s special effects team.

Conjuring nostalgia of afternoons spent playing Nintendo in the basement, McLean High School’s performance of Claudio Quest brought a video game to life through talented acting and complex technical elements, creating a masterful production that proved there’s more than one way to beat the level.