An “action-packed staged reading” sounds like a contradiction in terms, but that’s not the case with Book-It Repertory Theatre’s adaptation of Two Wheels North, which premiered September 25. With fast-paced exuberance, the 75-minute traveling show, adapted and directed by Annie Lareau, brings to life the saga of two young men who rode their bicycles from Santa Rosa, California, to Seattle’s Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition in 1909. The opening night crowd at the Nordic Heritage Museum received an added bonus with the presence of the book’s author, Evelyn McDaniel Gibb, who was seated front row center.
Employing the Book-It Special Edition style of minimal props and liberal use of audience imagination, the talented cast recreated the story’s most memorable scenes. Pedaling vintage bikes on stationary stands, Damian Peterson as Vic McDaniel and Nik Perleros as Ray Francisco, rode up and down mountain passes, over railroad trestles and through tunnels, while encountering fascinating characters played by Kelly Kitchens and John Ulman. With sponsorship from Heritage 4Culture and Site-Specific, Two Wheels North continues its run of performances around King County through October. Visit www.sitespecificarts.org for dates, times and locations.
L-R, John Ulman, Damian Peterson, Evelyn Gibb, Nik Perleros, Kelly Kitchens, & Annie Lareau
