Kung Fu Zombies Vs. Southeast Asian Girl Scouts, What More Do I Have to Say? Thank You Theater Mu

Kung Fu Zombies Vs. Southeast Asian Girl Scouts is the third in the Kung Fu Zombie play cycle. I saw the previous play, Kung Fu Zombies Saga: Shaman Warrior & Cannibals, but not the first in the cycle, Kung Fu Zombies Vs. Cannibals. If this is your first, don’t worry about it; they are all self-contained, and the exposition is given quite effectively in the opening. There’s a line in that first scene, which I will probably get jumbled, but it sets the tone for what will follow. The main three characters are describing the zombies approaching them, and just as they are about to defend themselves, they say, “And for some reason, these Motherfuckers all know Kung Fu!” They then engage them in the first of many well-choreographed fights. Is it all zombies, Kung Fu, and Girl Scout cookies? No, it is about a settlement of survivors, a community, and how they persevere in the zombie apocalypse.

Playwright Saymoukda Duangphouxay Vongsay states in her note in the program that she had been working on the play for two years when Operation Metro Surge began. She threw out what she had already written and rewrote it to reflect what our communities were experiencing. I have to say that it shows. I had a blast with this play, and I highly recommend it, but it is not as polished as the previous play. What she did in less than a year is astonishing, though, and more than worthy of its place in the Kung Fu Zombie universe.

This edition centers around three young women who are the heartbeat of their stronghold. They are named after Girl Scout cookies. Samoa, played by Dexieng “Dae” Yang, is their leader; Do-Si-Do, played by Hope Nordquist, is their muscle; and Thin Mint, played by Mia Angelica Onia Guzman, is the brains. They are all supported and encouraged by the Den Mother, “Mama,” played by Lia Rivamonte, who organizes the supplies, cares for the sick, and loves her romance novels. The cookies are all fantastic. At some point in the show, I said, “That’s my favorite,” about all three, though of course, outside of the play, we all know Thin Mints are the best, right?

There is a character named Gary, played by Benjamin Dutcher, whose arrival shakes things up a bit, but the less said about that, the better. Dutcher does an excellent job in a rare non-musical role.

There are two other standouts in the production, and they are the Violence Director, Mason Tyer, and Scenic Designer, Mina Kinukawa. The previous play, to my memory, had at least two acts. In the first one, I recall the fights were in slow motion, and then later in the play, we were shocked when the Kung Fu was in real time. Tyer doesn’t go that route here. Everything is at speed or close to it, but there is a lot of it, and the final battle features some rhythm incorporated into the action that was very effective. Kinukawa’s set is constantly in motion, but the transitions are fluid and never stop the play’s forward motion. It’s a jumble of pallets and corrugated steel that brings the apocalypse to life.

There are strong echoes of our current climate, but as we were shown this last Tuesday, we must keep living, we must keep fighting. There is a future worth fighting for, and our communities are worth fighting for.

Kung Fu Zombies Vs. Southeast Asian Girl Scouts runs through November 15th at the Frey Theater on the St. Catherine University Campus. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.theatermu.org/kfz-girl-scouts

Don’t forget to keep an eye on the new website  79 Seconds on Stage a free and full guide to local theatre in the Twin Cities.

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