Here’s Hoping There’s a Radioactive Spider in Your Future (Critic's Pick)

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'Here's Hoping There's a Radioactive Spider in Your Future'

Growing up is hard. That’s something any high school senior could tell you — and it’s something a host of maudlin high school movies, plays, books and TV shows will try to tell you. But where those monotonic messes fail, Ellie Conniff’s witty, poignant and hysterical Here’s Hoping There’s a Radioactive Spider in Your Future succeeds. With a hilarious, deeply authentic script and an enthusiastic cast, Here’s Hoping tackles the difficulty of growing and graduating without any of the genre’s typical self-indulgent self-seriousness.Written and produced by students from Highlands High School in Fort Thomas, Ky., the show perfects the mix of intellectualism and inappropriateness that defines teen humor. In one bawdy exchange, a student says that a girl in her English class probably “jacks off to Whitman.”“No,” responds her friend. “Dickinson. She’s a lesbian.” Conniff’s stellar script is supported by an equally eager cast. All students, they deftly convey the speaking style of their generation. "Likes," "I means" and even a hashtag sound authentic without feeling trite.The main ensemble, a group of three friends — Quinn (Payton Epperson), Lorelai (Kaiya Linkugel) and Tater (Anna Jowaisas) — focus their energy on planning an elaborate prank, while also dealing with college wait lists, homework and sexuality. Their ability to deal with the little things and the important ones, taking them all in stride in the way all teenagers must, is captivating. Ostensible nonchalance quickly shifts into raw emotion — and right back again. Some of the show’s biggest star-power is in its supporting cast: Grant Sower as Quinn’s younger brother Eric — who produces a fake, one-man news segment and battles a cardboard cutout of a Star Wars villain — is absolutely hilarious, possessing promising comic talent. Savannah Slaby as Sam Phillips amusingly delivers the show’s key messages. A popular girl who befriends the main group, her silly but moving commentary helps Quinn distill the minutia (in her metaphor, gum stuck to a lunch tray) from the real issues he needs to focus on (a multi-tentacled squid). Here’s Hoping showcases tremendous emerging talent, from writing to performance. A must-see offering of the FringeNext portion of the Fringe Festival, this charming show embraces both the poignancy and the riotous ridiculousness.