The title of the San Francisco Mime Troupe’s latest musical-political satire, “American Dreams,” is both ironic—for many, the so-called American dream is more of a nightmare these days—and literal.
That’s because this year’s play (the venerable Mime Troupe presents a new play annually and this is its 65th summer season) is structured as a series of actual dreams intertwined with present-day reality. The characters waft through those dreams, accompanied by creepy music and low-tech scenic effects. (The set design is by Carlos-Antonio Aceves.)
The dreams take place soon during a period like ours, around a crucial election time.
The plot covers three basic current issues from the Mime Troupe’s distinctive, urgent and goofily comedic left-wing perspective.
The first is the election. Grandpa, played by the show’s writer, Michael Gene Sullivan in a red MAGA cap, and his history-professor granddaughter, Paine (Mikki Johnson), love each other but are seemingly on opposite ends of the political spectrum.
The middle of the play focuses on campus uprisings against the Palestine war, personified by student activist Emma (Lizzie Calogero). Risking her job, Paine fully supports the demonstrations despite the disapproval of the amusingly named Chancellor Quisling (Sullivan in spectacles).
Finally, there’s a scarily futuristic section, with Sullivan as a robot created by a nasty software entrepreneur (also Calogero).
If it’s overall a bit disjointed in its exploration of three issues, it holds together well enough through the glue of the dreamscape effect.
Still, the middle section includes a too-didactic lecture-with-song by student Emma, although played with convincing fervor by Calogero.
“Since the invasion of Gaza more than 120,000 Palestinian men, women and children have been killed or wounded,” she intones. “But we’re not supposed to talk about that, we’re not supposed to look.” Really?
The final section is the funniest, involving the seemingly benign but gradually malevolent artificial intelligence humanoid. Yes, we’re familiar with fictional out-of-control robots, but this one is especially clever. “Leave it to me,” it sings blithely, “You’re within my algorithm. My screens will light up every home, you’ll raise your children with them.”
There’s also a particularly hilarious appearance, toward the play’s end, of a life-sized cow-god puppet (“Mother of Ra, form of a cow”) who pops up unexpectedly with an irritable “moo” and whose mythic attributes include the wisdom to say things like “Stop trying for artificial intelligence and try some actual intelligence!”
Under Velina Brown’s direction, the actors, most of whom, including Andre Amarotico, play several roles, are terrific.
Mime Troupe composer Daniel Savio’s music and lyrics, performed live by the three-piece SFMT band, are particularly delightful, from the opening song, “Day One” (“We’re gonna make American great again, again”) to AI’s triumphant song toward play’s end: “Your blind ambition birthed me, I suckled on your soul, and now I’m going to swallow you whole.”
It’s altogether enough to rouse the most complacent among us. The Mime Troupe’s agenda is never subtle, but this company wears its heart on its raggle-taggle sleeve, and you gotta love ’em for it.
The San Francisco Mime Troupe’s “American Dreams” continues (except where noted) through Sept. 8. Admission is free; a $20 donation is suggested. Most regional performances are listed below. For the full schedule, visit sfmt.org.
July 7 (2 p.m.): Live Oak Park, Berkeley
July 11 (7 p.m.): Ukiah High Schoo, Ukiah
July 13 (2 p.m.) Cubberley Community Center, Palo Alto
July 14 (2 p.m.): Washington Square Park, San Francisco
July 18 (7 p.m.): Cal Shakes, Orinda
July 20-21 (2 p.m.): Live Oak Park, Berkeley
July 27 (2 p.m.): McLaren Park, S.F.
July 28 (2 p.m.): Precita Park, S.F.
Aug. 1 (7 p.m.): Lakeside Park, Oakland
Aug. 3 (2 p.m.): La Plaza Park, Cotati
Aug. 4 (2 p.m.): Yerba Buena Gardens, S.F.
Aug. 21 (7 p.m.): Mill Valley Community Center, Mill Valley
Aug. 24-25 (2 p.m.): Cedar Rose Park, Berkeley
Aug. 31 (2 p.m.): Panhandle, S.F.
Sept. 1-2: (2 p.m.): Dolores Park, S.F.
Sept. 7-8: (3 p.m.): London Nelson Community Center, Santa Cruz
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