red dirt / red storm

Second Star on the Right—WECC- Ventura Hall

This alt-history/near-future speculative drama, reminiscent of Apple TV’s For All Mankind, benefits from strong pacing and a rich atmosphere, aided by evocative lighting and audio clips that lend the piece a textured, immersive tone. Yet however intriguing the vague references to the titular red dirt/red storm, overall the show withholds too much context.

While withholding details can provoke curiosity, here it feels more confusing than compelling. The obscurity of what’s truly at stake for the characters weakens the emotional weight of their climactic revelations.

The story’s alternating timelines between the past and a future of Mars’ human colonization can be tricky to navigate, as the performers do little to differentiate the characters’ present and future selves. Rapid-fire, low-volume dialogue further complicates things, witty or poignant though it may be, much of it is difficult to catch or absorb.

Both actors deliver emotionally resonant performances, and there are moments of genuine connection that hint at a deeper theme about legacy and aspiration, but the show buries its big ideas too deep. The audience is left grasping for meaning in a world we haven’t been fully invited into, and the logistics of what exactly the characters are trying to achieve.

With clearer exposition and more distinct temporal markers, this piece could become the kind of moving, genre-blending sci-fi theatre unique to the festival. As it stands, the piece sparks interest but doesn’t quite deliver on its potential.

Ashley Frantik