author: Erin Tarpley
“I love beets”
One of the joys about growing up across the last years of the 20th and beginning years of the 21st Centuries (or across multiple millennia, because a part of me finds that both mind-blowing and fun to say) is getting to grow up with video games. Some of my earliest memories involve playing games on the SNES, or getting to play Oregon Trail as a “school activity,” or getting my first GameBoy as a result of my parents’ divorce (hooray for buying a child’s love!) Like many my age and younger, video games played an integral part of both individual and social lives and holds a special place in the hearts of so many all across the globe. And the newest theatrical piece from The Baltimore Rock Opera Society (BROS) is unequivocally an open love letter to a very special type of video game: the Role-Playing Videogame (more commonly referred to as RPG).
Super BROS Adventure VI: Garbage Quest DX is wholly and without a doubt a labor of love and testament to the joys of playing RPGs. BROS will always get a shoutout in my book for their focus on creating and breathing life into original theatrical projects (with rock’n music) and hold a very special place in the Baltimore Theatre community.
Things that are amazing about this show:
First of all, Garbage Quest DX is not only a love letter to RPGs, it actually is an RPG! Written by Ave Kaye and Robyn Stegman, this is not a mere play that you show up to for the evening and sit back as you watch the story unfold; you actually get to participate in making choices in the story and interacting with the events. Now, if the idea of an interactive night at the theatre intimidates you, fear not, the interaction is very mild and if you would prefer a completely passive role in your theatrical experience, then BROS has you covered. While somewhat interactive, more on that in a moment, be warned that it is only members in the first two rows that might be asked to serve as the “backpack” and hold special items. Third row and above, don’t worry, the worst you may experience is catching far-flung fireballs or the random flying beet. Although, with this music, everyone will catch the “beats.”
When you enter the lobby of the performance space, look for a strategically placed QR code on the central pillar (not too far from the arcade cabinet with an actually playable Garbage Quest DX video game!). This QR code will take you to a BROS site that will give you a series of prompts you can answer, like “If you were a dragon, what would you hoard?” or “Suggest a name for the Wise One.” While these prompts serve as an entertaining way to occupy your time before the show begins, it also serves as a way to provide the improvisational names, locations, or items for the characters and the story. Just like in an actual RPG!
When the show begins, you are encouraged to keep your phone close so you can vote on options and choices the characters select throughout the performance. And fear not, if you didn’t scan that QR code in the lobby, the website url will be visually provided to you before the show begins (and of course, there is no obligation to participate). In this sense, every performance is unique to each individual showing, creating a beautiful homage to this particular genre.
Each player is totally dedicated to their character and the fun that is the Garbage Quest DX experience. Set on an epic quest to save the world by the all-knowing and wizard-esque Wise (Rocky Nunzio), the Player (Sav Speir) is your quintessential protagonist character played with pluck and optimism, while their Sidekick (Jennifer Stephens, plus a puppet the audience selects) serves as the snarky and sarcastic companion in the Player’s quest. Early in their journey, our heroes encounter their very first side quest (because what would an RPG be without helping many random NPCs [Non-Playable Characters] along the way), and this leads them to meet the Player’s Rival (Alisa Hamilton) who initially completes their rag-tag group of journeying heroes. That is, of course, until the party meets a very special Farmer (Trevor Clifford) with an affinity to wield a hoe (not a euphemism) to take on the Villain (Dan Ciarrocchi) before taking on the big-baddie… well, you’ll just have to see the show for more on that.
Nunzio and Ciarrocchi definitely stand out as-larger-than-life characters by the very nature of their ability to breathe and take up room as their stereotypical characters, and this is something they both lean heavily into with great aplomb and humor. Conversely, Clifford also serves as a brilliant comic relief with his ability to wholly embrace the Farmer’s simplistic and limited range with his love for beets. Speir, Hamilton, and Stevens (who gets special accolades for puppeteering while performing) clearly have done their homework and know the ins and outs of their genre-specific roles and play them flawlessly within the confines of what is available to them in the performance.
The set and overall visual aesthetic of this piece (created wholly by a design team that has too many amazing names to mention) serves to capture the beauty and soul of a pixelated RPG that does an amazing job in creating for the audience an enormous screen to view the game as the story progresses. From a Start load screen, to a Game Map, to a side-scrolling background, the light, projections, and simple side set pieces at no time detract from immersing the audience into this RPG world, and only heighten the love for the overall execution of this performance.
And then there’s the music. BROS would not be complete without a banging musical performance, and the two person band of Garbage Masher definitely rocks! With Aaron Smith on Guitar, Bass, and the quintessential GameBoy, and Joe Ostrosky on Drums, this music beautifully merges with the actions played out on the stage and slaps. Serving as the Background Music (or BGM), Garbage Masher captures the scene and essence of this style of videogame brilliantly.
Things that were… not as amazing about this show:
While the overall concept of this show, and the performers, set, projections, costumes, attention to videogame easter eggs, details, and music are amazing, the only thing that detracts from the awesomeness of this show is how loud the music is. The theatre venue itself is very small and intimate with the actors immediately in front of the audience’s first row, and the band immediately next to the audience’s stands. The gentle chiptune numbers are a perfect mix to allow the audience to hear the actors immediately in front of them without the use of microphones, but then as soon as the action-related BGMs begin (which again, totally rock!), it does not matter that the actors are wearing mics; anything they say is unintelligible.
The only other critique I can offer, and I suspect this may either be affected by delays in tallying audience phone votes or miscommunication on stage due to the music being so loud, relates to segments in the action-related scenes where it looks like the actors are waiting for confirmation of something before moving on to the next line/action. This delay breaks the momentum of the performance, and makes it feel like a sizable chunk of the performance could be reduced if it were made tighter. And for a show that comes in at almost 60 minutes, this is rather clonky.
But even with that being said, this show is fun, a great concept, and has a rocking soundtrack! Lovers and proxy members of the videogame community would have a great night out at this event, and for those waiting for a certain upcoming music and gaming festival, Garbage Quest DX is a great way to tide you over until January. Playing now until October 31st, don’t delay in pressing Start on this one and dive on into Garbage Quest DX.
Running Time: Approximately 60 minutes, without an intermission.
Super BROS Adventure VI: Garbage Quest DX plays at 7pm and 9pm through October 31st 2025 with the Baltimore Rock Opera Society (BROS) at 1915 Maryland Ave., Baltimore MD 21218. Tickets can be purchased in advance online.