Blog - Temple Students Shine in Newest Production: Airness

Reflecting on my Experience at the Airness Dress Rehearsal

On Wed. March 21, 2024, I attended a dress rehearsal for Temple’s contemporary production of Airness. Never having been to a Temple play, I was ecstatic to see what it was all about. The production took place at Randall Theater, which is located on the first floor of Annenberg Hall. Upon entering the theater, I instantly felt like I was in a bar. A makeshift bar was located on stage left, where they served actors and actresses fictional beers. Graffiti engulfed the walls left and right and cabaret seating was scattered throughout. My classmates and I sat front and center in the bar seats, which gave us a unique experience while viewing this production. Sitting in this orientation made the audience feel like they were not just witnessing a play, but that they were watching a genuine air guitar competition unfold live.

The Play Itself

The production started in a Staten Island qualifier round for the air guitar national championships, where the protagonist Nina is introduced to the other air guitar competitors: Shreddy Eddy, Facebender, Cannibal Queen and Golden Thunder. Each character took on a distinctive aesthetic that contributed to their character development. For example, Golden Thunder took on a similar resemblance to guitar legend Jimi Hendrix. Dressed in funky flowy clothes and Hendrix’s signature headband gave me and the rest of the audience a greater understanding of his character. Golden Thunder proceeded to be possibly the funniest character throughout the play, where at one point he tore away his pants revealing American flag-printed underwear.

Airness was not only a comedy; it touched on a few important themes, such as feeling discredited as a woman in a male-dominated field and reconnecting with loved ones. While watching the play, there were multiple moments where I could feel authentic emotion from Nina and Cannibal Queen, as they struggled with their dilemma. Air guitar contestant Facebender played a comedic role, but still pulled on the heartstrings of the audience when he attempted to reconnect with his estranged daughter.

Doing the Little Things

An impressive feature of this play was the small cast that managed to not take a single intermission during the production. I specifically remember when there was an upcoming scene where Nina needed to do a costume change, so one of the “bar employees” came up to our table and took our mock drink orders. Not only was this a funny twist, but it made our table feel like we were a part of the production.

For the duration of Airness, I admired the dedication the cast had to make the play feel authentic. In many scenes, while two characters were having an interaction, other cast members would be interacting in muffled voices. There were audible boos and cheers from the “crowd” during performances, which added more comedic relief.

An actor and actress also took on the role of announcing the competitions and setting the stage for each setting. In Airness, we traveled from Staten Island to Boston to New York and more. Without these two, I would have been lost in terms of the different settings. They also announced the winners and losers from the competitions, which was a nice touch.

Final Thoughts

Temple Theaters did a magnificent job of casting this production and making it feel like a play no one has been to before. From the bar seating to the drink orders and all the other small things cast members did made this production entertaining and authentic. Temple students shined in each and every role, which highlighted the dedication they had to learning these characters.

In each air guitar performance, the students felt like they could enter a real competition if they wanted to. That is how good they were. From the dance moves to the facial expressions, they nailed these performances. Even the costume design was spot on. As I mentioned before, each character took on a specific persona that added to their character development. D Vicious and Shreddy Eddy were dressed like traditional rockstars, meanwhile, Facebender was dressed like a pirate and Golden Thunder imitated Jimi Hendrix.

Overall, I would highly consider attending another performance from Temple Theaters. Despite being just a dress rehearsal, I was left blown away. I am not usually a theater person and thought that a play about air guitar would be a little too cheesy for me. However, I was mistaken. The production of Airness was funny, positive, moving and in all just entertaining. I cannot wait to attend more productions from Temple Theaters, this way I can see more of the talent this University has to offer.