Triumph of the Underdog is a one-man show written by and starring Mitch Montgomery as scatterbrained, cardigan wearing professor Pete Howell. Pete is a washed up science fiction writer, once praised for bestseller The Garden of Venus-ly Delights, but more recently shunned by his colleagues for his second book Anna Coronana. The play takes the form of a college lecture, with the audience playing the role of the students. Our professor opens each scene with a malfunctioning power point presentation and a dry erase board, making me feel as if I really was a college student.In an ironic twist of events, Pete’s theories from Anna Coronana were actually correct! Pete’s response? He turns to us, his students, and proclaims, “This shit just got real, y’all!” Ultimately, Pete resolves the problem of a large meteor crashing into the sun which would end life on Earth as we know it. He ingeniously launches NASA’s Hubble Telescope at the meteor “MMM Bop” (named after the song) and eradicates it just in the nick of time.
After the performance, I had the privilege to interview Mitch Montgomery. He told me that Triumph of the Underdog was inspired by lectures he attended while in college. I asked him what message he hoped the audience would take away. “Humanity,” Mitch told me, “Is the underdog.”Would I recommend this play? Absolutely! Take every opportunity to participate in the performance.
Who knows, you might even receive college credit!
TRIUMPH OF THE UNDERDOG created by Mitch Montgomery and Morgan Allen. Directed by Barbara William. Presented as part of FringeNYC.For more information visit www.triumphoftheunderdog.blogspot.com
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