Death Cruise

Death Cruise

Thicket & Thistle

Access Theater

July 26, 2019

Photo courtesy of Thicket & Thistle

Thicket & Thistle is a vibrant ensemble driven theatre company that has a unique musical voice and a heart for storytelling.  Their skills are clearly displayed in their new show Death Cruise, now playing at Access Theater.  The company has worked for the past three years to develop this haunting, new musical, taking it from a short piece to a full-length entertainment.  The score is strong, written collaboratively by the company members.  Their trademark of tight harmonies, foot-stomping rhythms, hummable melodies, and character driven lyrics make this show something to see.

The Full Cast in Rehearsal
Photo courtesy of Thicket & Thistle

Nate (played by Jonathan Eric Foster) boards a ship for a cruise of a lifetime.  Little does he know that a Seeker of Souls, Seth (played by Sam DeRoest), is looking to deflate his hopes and dreams in order to contract his soul to the devil.  Seth manipulates Nate’s first disappointment, which occurs when he finds out that the cruise is sparely attended and headed to the arctic, instead of someplace topical.  The next step in Seth’s plan is to have the crew members, Bailey (played by Lindsay Zaroogian), Judson (played by Kyle Acheson), Blaise (played by Joshua Stenseth), Juliette (played by Juliana Wheeler), and Quiet Craig (played by Titus Tompkins), reject and alienate Nate.  This is a relatively easy task since they are all absorbed in their own self-serving ideals.  Seth gets very close to achieving Nate’s soul, but something keeps rebounding the situation back in Nate’s favor.  Finally Seth turns up the heat and applies his roughest strategy.

Thicket & Thistle Company Memebers in Rehearsal
Photo courtesy of Thicket & Thistle

This company delivers high caliber performances.  They work as a solid unit, while each having an opportunity to showcase their individual strengths.  The show builds in excitement as the characters face their greatest fears.  One stand-out number that represents their skill as an ensemble is staged where they exchange instruments while playing and singing.  It is performed with ease and dexterity, without missing a beat.

Death Cruise has been extended due to a sold-out opening weekend.  Go to  thicketnthistle.com or email them at info@thicketnthistle.com for dates and times of the extension.  Get your tickets before they sell out again!     

Domenick Danza