Synopsis

In a superhuman society, there's a standard in place for heroes and villains alike. Stratum, son of a renowned hero, spent years training to step up as the city's protector. When his nemesis unexpectedly saves an innocent civilian, everyone begins to doubt their understanding of good and evil... Including him.

Stratum Review by Gabby Benedict

It's a bird! It's a plane! No, it's Stratum!

'Stratum' is an original musical written by Marietta College senior Ashley Manion that had its world premiere on Dec. 1st through Marietta's theater department.

'Stratum' stars Jackson Bandy as superhero Stratum, real name Morgan, the son of their superhero society's highly respected hero Granite, played by Andrew Konjevich. The story takes an unexpected twist at the start when one of the town's 'villains', Genesis, saves a 'random' civilian and makes every other character question their own understanding of good and evil, as well as of themselves.

The plot of 'Stratum' is an emotionally engaging rollercoaster and hooked the audience throughout the entire show in anticipation of what will happen next. This is especially true with the on-the-nose title of the song right before intermission following Act 1, 'Cliffhanger,' which left the entire audience on the edge of their seats waiting for Act 2.

The cast had great chemistry with each other throughout the whole performance, with one of the strongest bonds being between Morgan and his sister Dianne, played by Emma Gandor. The ups and downs of their relationship from close siblings to an unexpected rivalry as a result of situational and moral differences was realistic and compelling to watch.

The villain duo of Arlo and Genesis, played by Doug Bungard and Rose Wardlow, played off of each other effectively and were a pair of fun, yet layered characters whose goal is to take down Granite. The twist? Out of costume, Arlo and Genesis are Ricky and Jamie, the best friends of Morgan and Dianne, AKA Granite's children.

These four characters are also close friends with Stephanie, a reporter who wants to interview villains and get to the bottom of their motivations and points of view after being the 'random' civilian who Genesis had saved at the start of the show.

These in-costume and out of costume dynamics make the show super interesting to watch as these dynamics continue to change as more identities get revealed and each character's realities begin to falter in front of their eyes.

With queer romantic side plots, drama, action, and comedy, 'Stratum' is chock-full of exciting elements from every genre of musical and blended it all together in its fresh and compelling debut performance.

Links to other articles:

St. Clairsville Native Writes New Musical by Kailey Carpino

Local MC Students Part of World Premiere of 'Stratum: An Original Musical' by the Marietta Times

Ashley Manion is Ready for World Premiere of 'Stratum: An Original Musical' by Marietta Merit Pages