BY ROBIN MILLER, STAFF WRITER | September 23, 2022
Six contestants, one spotlight and lots of air.
LSU’s Claude L. Shaver Theatre stage is set for the face-off that will ultimately decide the new air guitar champion.
The action begins at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 29, when LSU Theatre opens Chelsea Marcantel’s comedy, “Airness.” Marcantel is an LSU alumnus and this production marks the first time her play has been staged by her alma mater.
“I’m friends with Chelsea, and this not only is my first time to direct her play, but it’s my first time in Louisiana,” director Hannah Wolf said. “And I love the story. I mean, what’s not to love about a play about air guitar?”
The story revolves around a competition in which six contestants are vying for the championship title. Each has created an alter ego with a costume to match: The Nina, played by Arden Forrand; D Vicious, played by Masen Keltner; Golden Thunder, played by Ira Anderson; Shreddy Eddy, played by Ryan Bailey; Cannibal Queen, played by Sarah Short; and Facebender, played by Matt Burns. Jackie Johnson is the announcer.
Burns will have some extra pizzazz powering his performance as Facebender — he’s actually a two-time international air guitar champ under the stage name, Aristotle.
Burns has appeared in two previous productions of “Airness,” but the LSU show will be his first time to play Facebender.
“And I would just say to everyone who is hesitant about going to the theater, this is a super-fun show that will break the ice,” he said. “You’re going to have a good time — everyone will have a good time.”
And from there, the cast collectively agrees that there’s more to air guitar than riffing on a pretend set of strings. You have to be bigger than real musicians, even bigger than the music.
Because you have to keep all eyes on you.
“But it’s not just about the performance,” said Forrand, a senior theater major from Atlanta. “It’s about letting go and having fun.”
The “Airness” story begins with Forrand’s character, The Nina (a real musician who plays guitar), who enters her first air guitar competition.
The Nina thinks winning will be easy, but when she befriends the group of charismatic nerds all committed to becoming the next champion, she discovers that there’s more to this art form than playing pretend.
“It’s about finding yourself and being a part of a community,” said Short, a junior theater major from New Orleans. “I didn’t know a lot about air guitar before this play, but what I’ve come to appreciate is its sense of community.”
The character who’s probably most serious about the competition is Keltner’s. All cast members are in costume for photos on this particular day, but Keltner’s D Vicious stands out in silver and red lamé.
He looks more sci-fi than he does vicious, but make no mistake — D Vicious knows his air guitar.
“He’s the reigning national champion,” said Keltner, a sophomore theater major from Flagler Beach, Florida. “As the story progresses, he becomes more of a villain, because he lets his ego get in the way. He loses his grip on what he’s doing this competition for.”
So does D Vicious redeem himself in the end? Keltner doesn’t say. That would be too much of a spoiler.
So, audiences will have to make a trip to the Shaver Theatre to find out what happens to D Vicious and who wins the competition.
“There’s going to be a lot of energy,” Burns said. “Stop by and see for yourself. You’ll walk away with a new appreciation for this competition.”
‘Airness’
LSU Theatre’s fall production
Thursday through Sunday, Sept. 29-Oct. 2; Tuesday through Friday, Oct. 4-7; and Sunday, Oct. 9. Sunday matinees begin at 2 p.m. All other performances begin at 7:30 p.m.
Claude L. Shaver Theatre, LSU Music & Dramatic Arts Building, Dalrymple Drive.
Pay-what-you-can on Sept. 29. Tickets for all other performances are $22, adults; $17, faculty, staff and seniors; and $12, adults.
