Tales of the Lost Formicans

Sophie Hassell (ID: 800905064)

The Tales of the Lost Formicans was a very interesting production. Entering the Black Box
Theater of Robinson Hall was a unique experience. The seating was on three sides of the small singular
space in the center of the room. When the play began a scene opened to where the design of a chair and a
table was being described. The aliens presented the architecture of the chair, noting the curved arches of
the legs, the back rest of the chair, and the area where the individual would sit. Humorously, the actor
described the section missing from the back of the chair between the back rest and the bottom. As the play
progressed more character were introduced and the audience began to see the daily lives of the individuals
being portrayed. A mother discovers her husband has impregnated an eighteen-year-old. When learning
this information, the mother, Cathy McKissick decides to return to her parents home with her son, Eric.
Eric is revealed as a juvenile boy with no respect for his mother or grandparents. When Cathy McKissick
arrives to her parents (Evelyn and Jim) home in Colorado, it is revealed that the father has Alzheimers.
Interestingly, aliens are introduced to the scene, explaining the different characteristics and actions the
humans take. Cathy meets a crazy conspiracy man, Jerry, who talks wildly of the connections between
President Lincoln and Kennedy. Jerry wildly tries to explain to Cathy that there are aliens and the aliens
are controlling everything they, the humans, are doing. The aliens are trying to observe how the humans
interact and what they do in their lives. Through presentations of their findings, it is clearly shown that the
aliens do not know nor do they comprehend how the family and individual humans act. Interestingly one
of the characters speaks, questioning why someone would want to build a home that would last years into
the future. This reminded me a lot about what we have been learning in class. In class we are learning to
appreciate the nature of buildings and architecture throughout the world. Some homes, buildings, and
structures are meant to be admired for the year to come, while others are dull, not special enough to be
remembered. Another character in the play is a woman named Judy. Judy is a mother of two children who
is living in the same suburbs for many years. Her husband is allusive so she, with the help of her friend
Cathy, go out at night with torches to destroy her husbands corvette. The two of them spend time talking
about relationships and love, all while the aliens try to explain their interactions. Judy tells Cathy how the
neighborhood is mostly women now because many of the men have left or died. In class we have
discussed how architecture can help to explain the nature and ways of the time period in which it was
constructed. The aliens are trying to do just this. By watching the humans interact in their communities,
the aliens begin to piece together what humans do and what their actions mean. In architecture, one can
contest what the time period was like based upon the design of the building. One can speculate about the
events that went on in the old buildings just like the aliens are speculating about the events in which the
humans are interacting. As the play progresses, the son, Eric, disappears, abandoning his family out of
frustration. The play depicts the familys struggle to maintain together and stable. Evelyn, upset with her
husband, Jims, condition with Alzheimers, remembers a time when they were young and he could
remember what was happening. Eventually, the aliens abduct the conspiracy man, Jerry and take
assessments and record information about who he is and his human characteristics. At the conclusion of
the play, Jim dies, finally escaping from his state of confusion. Cathy, emotionally distressed is very upset
with the death of her father. Jims wife, Evelyn feels remorse for the death of her sick husband. Soon,
Eric returns home to his mother and grandmother. Cathy realizes that in that moment she feels inner peace
knowing all the struggles and worries are over, for the most party, in her life. In the beginning of the play
it is revealed, by Judy, that a man in the town had shot himself on top of a pile of newspapers. The play
concludes with Jerry, the abducted man, laying down newspaper and killing himself. Overall this play
was very interesting and unique. It portrayed a broken family well and incorporated aliens to demonstrate
an external view point on the conspired events. Although I was confused at time with what was happening
during the play, I found humor and sorrow in many of the scenes. While the play was written to take place
in the 1980s, the themes are events are universal and respected for such. This is similar to architecture
because although many buildings are old and created long ago, their beauty and aesthetics are still
respected and active today.