Theater Online - New York Theater Reviews

Sometimes you can tell a show is going to take you on an hilarious journey, just by its name. Time Traveling with Cannibals is just such a show. In the play, two very nerdy, very rich scientists try to put together a machine (now would be the time to mention the outrageously awesome set design) and inadvertently bring back Elvis from 1954. Chaos ensues. The nerds, played by David Lawson and Louis Aquiler,  are jealous of Elvis’s ways with the women. When they work of their next project—a youth elixir—the cannibalism comes into play. 

Louis Aquiler and David Lawson’s performances serve the material appropriately. Aquiler in particular gives a physical, high-strung performance. Both play creepy geeks so well, you wonder if they collect specimens in their free time. A true stand out is Tyler Ham Pong, as Elvis. He never goes into imitation, playing the King naturally and in all his hot glory. The three girls (Mary-Nicole Dorn, Kate German, Alissa Laderer) that act as a Greek chorus before being introduced into the story add another layer of humor, as do the butler and maid (Joel Haberli, Cynthia Shaw) who are at the nerd’s beck and call.

Writer/director Gary Ferrar does an excellent job directing a show that, at an hour and 45 minutes, never drags or lags. Time Traveling with Cannibals—go for the plot, stay for the farcical journey.