Cleveland Public Theatre’s ‘Into The Heart Of One Star” trips the light fantastic

I began writing theater reviews some sixteen odd years ago (and believe me they have sometimes been odd). Once, I took my oldest son, Stephan, to see a show titled “Tender Napalm” at CPT. From what I remember, the stage set was a rather detailed kitchen area with a chrome and linoleum table with padded chrome chairs. There was also a large counter top with sink. Pretty much what you would find in an efficiency apartment from the 50s. There may have been a sofa. At least this is what I can remember.

The show began with a young couple sitting at the table talking but soon this normal conversation turned south and they began to argue as to who should be “King Of The Monkeys” as they began launching themselves off the table, onto the couch and onto the counter top and back again making monkey noises. At the waning moments of the show they suddenly switched characters with the girl reciting the boy’s early lines and visa versa. It reminded me of when in my college days I arrived late for a party where everyone had dropped acid (LSD) and I became an observer for the evening. Very Trippy!

So that brings me to Raymond Bobgan (with contributions from Anastasia Urozhaeva) “Into The Heart Of One Star”. The stage is divided in half. The left space is occupied by Dagney Aslanov (Anastasia Urozhaeva) and the right side by Daedalus (Raymond Bobgan). It is basically two shows that run concurrently to each other.

It begins with both actors laying down on the stage. Dagney is a prisoner in a bleak Russian holding cell. She pleads with her unseen jailers for the glass of water they had promised her if she cooperated. She is there because she was the only witness to the crashing of some unknown space object in a remote section of Siberia.

Daedalus and his unseen son Icarus are prisoners in a labyrinth they built for King Minos of Crete in order to imprison the Minotaur who they eventually killed and used his bones to build a house in the center of said labyrinth. In order to escape they construct candles of bees wax whose light attracts thousand of moths that they train to attach to their bodies to lift them free of their prison. Daedalus also learns to “talk moth”’.

Meanwhile, Dagney has been released from the Russian gulag and has immigrated to America (whom she loves very much). She earns two college degrees and becomes a top scientists in her chosen field. This leads to her becoming a prominent researcher and entrepreneur making her extremely wealthy. The money is used to build a rocket that will take her to the center of the Earth’s sun.

Meanwhile, Daedalus and his son have trained their moths. On the fateful day they allow the moths to attach and they are lifted above the labyrinth being free at last but their troubles are just beginning. The moths have decided they wish to fly to the sun because that is what they do...fly towards the brightest source of light.

As for the performance, it is energetic. Raymond makes good use of the scant props of small hand bells and wooden bowls while Anastasia has an entire closet of clothes to change into. The projections designed by Tom West along with Michael W. Chopra’s video content are superb and give clues into the story. Chris Meyer’s lighting design is also an important element to the show. Tom West and Raymond Bobgan designed the stage with its bold lines. Alison Garrigan is the costume designer who came up with Raymond’s ancient looking costume and Anastasia’s various evolving wardrobes.

This show attempts to juxtapose two seemingly unrelated events bringing them to separate but related conclusions. Reading up on your Greek mythology will help you understand part of the show. The ninety minute without intermission is “trippy” to say the least as it is filled with strange concepts that will test your imagination.

Cleveland Public Theatre’s production of “Into The Heart Of One Star” will be on stage in the Gordon Square Theatre at 6415 Detroit Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio through April 11, 2026. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.cptonline.org/ or call (216) 631-2727 ext. 501.