Radio meets comic book in the live graphic novel performance 'The Intergalactic Nemesis'
The Center for the Arts at Virginia Tech presents two performances of a cult favorite, the first installment of the live-action graphic novel “The Intergalactic Nemesis,” on Thursday, Sept. 25 and Friday, Sept. 26 at 7:30 p.m.
The performances will be held in the Anne and Ellen Fife Theatre, located within the Moss Arts Center’s Street and Davis Performance Hall at 190 Alumni Mall.
“Book One: Target Earth” follows Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Molly Sloan and her intrepid research assistant Timmy Mendez as they team up with a mysterious librarian named Ben Wilcott. Together, they travel from Earth into the universe to defeat a terrible threat to the very future of humanity: an invading force of sludge-monsters from outer space known as the Zygonians.
“The Intergalactic Nemesis” takes a nostalgic look back at the glory days of radio plays, but with a twist. The telling of the story is what makes the performance so unique. Three actors, one Foley artist, and one keyboardist perform all the voices, sound effects, and music, while more than 1,250 individual, hand-drawn, full-color comic book images are blown up to two stories high.
Prior to the performances on Sept. 25 and 26, beginning at 6:30 p.m., the Center for the Arts will have cover art from select issues of the pulp magazine “Astounding Stories” on display in the Moss Arts Center Grand Lobby. Featuring alien invaders, futuristic machines, and intergalactic adventures, the colorful cover art from these issues, which date from 1930-1935, will illuminate past visions of sci-fi worlds.
The images on display are drawn from Virginia Tech University Libraries William J. Heron Speculative Fiction Collection. In conjunction with “The Intergalactic Nemesis” performance, University Libraries will offer an open exhibition of selections from this collection on Thursday, Sept. 25 at 5:30 p.m., with refreshments in the multi-purpose room and materials in the special collections reading room on the first floor of Newman Library. The event is free and open to the public.
The William J. Heron Speculative Fiction Collection contains approximately 16,000 American, British, and Australian books and magazines from the 1920s to the 1980s relating to science fiction, fantasy, and horror. Included are works exploring utopias and dystopias; adventures involving technological gadgetry, lost worlds, undiscovered lands, and heroes such as Doc Savage and Tarzan; ghost stories and fairy tales; and futuristic spy and espionage thrillers.
Tickets
Tickets for “The Intergalactic Nemesis” performances are $25 for general admission and $10 for students and youth 18 years old and under. Tickets can be purchased online; at the Moss Arts Center's box office, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday; or by calling 540-231-5300.
Parking is available in the North End Parking Garage on Turner Street. Virginia Tech faculty and staff possessing a valid Virginia Tech parking permit can enter and exit the garage free of charge. Limited street parking is also available. Parking on Alumni Mall is free on weekdays after 5 p.m. and on weekends.
