Sara Toby Moore’s “The Mechanix,” a self-described “science fiction-magical realism-human cartoon” show, takes place on “a normal day at a seaside amusement pier.”
The show includes interdimensional travel, anthropomorphic animals, the nature of free will and an extended riff on “The Wizard of OZ.”
Through it all, one would be forgiven for occasionally asking what one thing has to do with the other. It’s a question that never gets answered.
Upon arriving at Z Below, the black box theater beneath Z Space, audience members are encouraged to grab lollipops from a basket at the door. Inside, we find two ragged big-top tents that meet at an angle, each with a projection screen showing grainy, seaside carnival footage.
A near-endless loop of seagull and crowd sounds gives an unsettling, David Lynch-esque feel to things. The design by Sarah Phykitt, who’s created elaborate sets for The Curran Theatre and the Magic Theatre, gives a “cheap carnival” vibe that turns the production’s limited budget to its advantage.
Before the play starts, the two titular mechanics, Buff (playwright Sara Toby Moore) and Dutch (DeMarcello Funes) step out into the audience to awkwardly check if everyone is “strapped in” for the ride we’re about to take. They then lead the audience through a rollercoaster version of “the wave” to get in the spirit of things.
The story begins with the news that the most popular ride on the pier is facing a unique problem: Riders keep disappearing into thin air. The responsibility for dealing with this inexplicable phenomenon falls at the feet of the mechanics who led the audience in the wave earlier.
The duo are brought before corporate lackey Boris (San Francisco drag mainstay Matthew Martin), who easily intimidates the childlike Dutch, but not the foul-mouthed Buff, nor the pair’s chain-smoking co-worker Ms. Needleman (Maureen McVerry).
During this interrogation, Boris is able to glean from the mechanics that this sort of thing has happened before.
“The Mechanix,” in keeping with the circus shows for which most of the performers are known, doesn’t seem to care all that much about its own plot line.
One minute, Dutch frantically searches for Buff after they’ve been separated during interdimensional travel; the next minute, Dutch is wrapped up in a fight with a sentient Whac-a-Mole (Renée Sedliar).
Characters enter and exit on a whim, never to be seen again. A dichotomy between zany and foreboding continues throughout — not quite “Alice in Wonderland,” not quite “Killer Klowns from Outer Space.”
The cast itself is skilled. Moore assembled their collaborators with great care, even bringing in Martin at the eleventh hour when the cast member he replaced couldn’t shake a commitment to another show.
As someone who fancies themself a “human cartoon,” Moore wisely leans into that and surrounds their potty-mouthed character with an equally-outlandish ensemble who play each role as if they were living R. Crumb illustrations.
The lone exception is Martin, as Boris. In contrast to his usual drag work, Martin plays the proverbial “straight man” as a necessary counter to the mania of the rest of the cast.
It holds one’s eye, but what does it all mean? For all the skill displayed on such a tiny budget, “The Mechanix” ultimately feels like a bunch of ideas thrown at the wall, only later connected with thumbtacks and string.
There are definite highs to the ride, but anyone trying to follow the lay of the tracks will just find their head spinning. Maybe that’s the point. The rollercoaster that serves as the plot’s catalyst could also serve as its metaphor. If that’s the case, then job well done.
“The Mechanix” runs Thursday to Saturday at 8 p.m. through Sept. 6 at Z Below, 450 Florida St. Tickets are $25 to $45.