Review: Extinction Song (SummerWorks)

One Play, One Child, A Man
by Dave Ross

Extinction Song has been getting a great deal of advance buzz these past few weeks. The story of a young boy who retreats into a dreamland to avoid being “extincted,” there is almost no way to predict what the story will be like. The work has already won a Sterling Award for best play, and it is clear that it has earned it.

The storytelling is very physical, and Pederson manages a non-stop pace of activity through the show.

Written by Ron Jenkins, the tale is a lengthy and extremely detailed one. While it can seem rambling and lose direction at points, I almost imagine this to be intentional. After all, our sole character, James (Ron Pederson), is seven years old, and anyone who has had a conversation with a seven year old knows that that conversation can be rambling and lose direction at times. The story takes an excruciating amount of time to build to the climax, and it can become exhausting. The climax, however long it takes us to arrive, is worth the wait. It essentially answers the question “what makes me human?” in the most astonishing half-dozen words.

The real star of this show is Ron Pederson’s performance. He manages to convince us that he is indeed a seven-year-old boy who fell through the ice in his parents' car and was rescued by wolves, only to be raised by them before being adopted. Pederson’s portrayal of James, and of James portraying caricatures of his family is incredible, with Pederson switching back and forth between James and “The Mountie Man” or “Step-Woman” with only breaths in between. The storytelling is very physical, and Pederson manages a non-stop pace of activity through the show. Despite the rapid switching back and forth between portraying James and his family members, each characterization remains consistent, the ticks and physical nature of each character remaining intact throughout.

I’ve never had to review a one-man show before, and it has to be one of the most difficult things to do. Readers will have to forgive the brevity of this review, but don’t associate its length with the quality of the piece. My companion commented that solos are frequently used as vehicles for the performer, and that is clearly the case here. I don’t say this as a criticism. Go see Pederson in Extinction Song. This is one vehicle worth getting into. 

Extinction Song is at SummerWorks