Review: “Or, An Astronaut Play” at the Tank

• Max Berry, Contributing Critic - New York City

“Or, An Astronaut Play” was written by Johnny G. Lloyd and directed by  Wiliam Steinbeger. It follows a man by the name of Tom (Harrison Unger) who quits his job to become an astronaut after being told by an online quiz that that was what he was going to be. Tom finds himself in astronaut school among students who are much more qualified and are working much harder than he is, yet he charges on, sure that he’s supposed to become an astronaut and therefore he will win out over the competition.

 “Or, an Astronaut Play” started off strong, with a hilarious setup of a guy who can’t seem to make decisions on his own taking life advice from a Buzzfeed-like quiz that tells him he’s gonna be an astronaut. The dynamic between him and his girlfriend, Claire (Tay Bass) is clear and very interesting. I was eager to see what his ridiculous pursuit of becoming an astronaut would do to this relationship as well as his relationship with other people in his life. However, the insight we get on the repercussions of this massive decision is pushed aside for new characters and many scenes that feel as though they do very little for the overall story. The girlfriend’s decision to also attend the astronaut school felt out of character from the person that we had known up to this point and her arc from that point forward was uninteresting.

“Or, an Astronaut Play” tells a story of inequality and how people like Tim can get much further doing much less. This is an interesting idea yet I feel as though it is not explored as much as it could have been throughout the play. It is very prominent in the last third, but we have to wait through classroom scenes or interval scenes that feel very stagnant.

Despite some of these complications, the actors all gave quite entertaining performances. Unger as Tom played the role with the perfect amount of naivety that made us love him in the beginning but hate him by the end. Though, the hatred did not make his ridiculous actions any less entertaining. Tay Bass as Claire was also a joy to watch, adding charm and quirkiness to any scene she was in. The two of them had great chemistry throughout but it was especially clear at the beginning. The staging of the show was also very well done. Steinberger utilized every corner of the space, especially at the beginning of the play.

The set was also a standout of the play. Beautifully designed by Izmir Ickbal. it created a simple yet futuristic look that caught the eye yet was subtle enough to engulf you in the world. With futuristic lighting including many hanging lamps, I was really able to immerse myself in the piece.

“Or, An Astronaut Play” had a very interesting premise, with great actors, a great set, and a beginning and end that were quite entertaining. However, it suffered from a middle that could have used more momentum.

“Or, An Astronaut Play” was written by Johnny G. Lloyd and directed by William Steinberger.

It features: Tay Bass, Harrison Unger, Caturah Brown, Jonathan Cruz.

With lighting design by Baily Costa

Costume design by Barbara Erin Delo

Sound Design by Brian Hickey

Props and Graphic Design by Rebecca LeVine

And Scenic design by Izmir Ickbal

It runs at the Tank (312 W 36th St, New York, NY 10018) January 4-26th.