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Surfing comes up often enough in film, from surf edits, to documentaries, to features, but is much less frequently seen on the stage. Undoubtedly, no small part of that is the difficulty of finding a way to adequately depict an ocean activity in live theater. However, a recently debuted production found an interesting, if unconventional way to get around that obstacle.
The play is called Wipeout. Penned by playwright Aurora Real De Asua, the work was originally produced as a part of the National New Play Network, and recently had its regional debut at Studio Theatre in Washington, D.C.
“Wipeout is a surf comedy about the complexities of aging,” explained De Asua in an interview with the National New Play Network. “The play follows three 70y-year-old best friends who reunite to take a surf class from a very, very stoked 19-year-old surf instructor. It takes place off the coast of Santa Cruz, California and is staged entirely on surfboards. It includes: otters, splash fights, personal betrayal, that trio friendship situation where one person is always the odd one out, kelp, paddle lessons, loofahs, grief, weed vapes, Botox, security whistles, jesuits, and, of course, wipeouts.”
Reviewers have praised Wipeout for its witty dialogue, heartfelt moments, and adept performances, but perhaps the most notable aspect of the production is its unconventional staging. While the entirety of the action does indeed take place on the Pacific Ocean, with the characters floating on foam boards as they take a surf lesson, Associate Artistic Director Danilo Gambini stages the action entirely in a beach house interior. That means that, while the characters are discussing paddling technique and ogling beach-goers, the actors are actually lounging around indoors – with a coffee table sometimes playing stand-in for the surfboard.
It’s certainly a creative way to go about solving the problem of how to have characters surfing on stage. Short of a massive water tank, depicting three people in a lineup would likely require some degree of awkward pantomiming (although it would in some way actually resemble real-life surf lessons, when beginners practice paddling on the sand). However, the decision to stage the play indoors has received mixed reactions from critics. Some have praised the inventiveness of the conceit, which gave the actors more to do onstage than mill around and mimic floating, while still allowing the heart of the story to shine through. Others lamented that it relegated the characters to a domestic setting, when they were meant to be on an adventure.
In either case, the decision makes Wipeout a bold entry into the canon of surf theater, though surfing theater fans will have to wait a little longer to actually see an actor on a board.
