Las Vegas Weekly

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It’s been argued that superhero tales are the modern form of classic mythology. Instead of the Greek gods watching man from atop Mount Olympus, we have the Justice League in a satellite orbiting Earth. This might explain why superheroes are so prevalent in television, comics and movies—they delve into the timeless issues of good and evil, right and wrong.

Or, it could just be that people like capes and ass kicking. Whatever the root cause, one thing was certain to John Beane last year when his Insurgo Theater used superheroes as a theme for a late-night show of 10-minute plays exploring various topics: People love superheroes. Playwright interest in producing scripts about superheroes was high, and attendance for Superhero Diaries was good, precisely why Insurgo is following up with a sequel: Superhero Diaries II.

The collection features 10-minute scripts by local and national playwrights, including one co-written by the Weekly’s Josh Bell. Insurgo received a few dozen submissions for the series, which runs April 29 to May 14, and while many fell into the category of bad-SNL sketch material, Beane says the final pieces selected will surprise audiences with the boundaries they push. “We have silent sketches, moody period pieces, funny ones,” he says. “We have profound and profane.”

The latter means the show isn’t quite appropriate for children, which shouldn’t be surprising considering the performance is held past kids’ bedtimes at Insurgo’s Bastard Theater. It is, however, sponsored by Alternate Reality Comics, which means it’s already received two thumbs up from the people who know superheroes best.