Goodnight, Troublemaker from The Sublime Theater

The Asheville Fringe Festival may be over, but at The Sublime Theater, it’s always mid-January.

Known for producing new works by local playwrights, usually with an experimental tinge, the Sublime Theater is wonderfully on-brand with its world premiere of Goodnight, Troublemaker by local playwright Peter Lundblad. Directed by Rachel McCrain, Goodnight, Troublemaker imagines the French philosopher Voltaire (Ms. Tippin) as a time-traveling gadfly. 

Having discovered the secret of eternal life, Voltaire, along with his nurse and confidante named Goodnight (Carin Metzger) live through Enlightenment Paris to the American Wild West and the 1968 Democratic National Convention — and further, into a dystopian digital future where the pair’s long journey comes to an end… sort of.

Fans of Lundblad’s previous work, Buncombe Tower (produced last spring at The Magnetic Theatre) will recognize his enjoyably quirky style characterized by sharp, enigmatic, and erudite dialogue. There is an arch self-assuredness to both Buncombe Tower and Goodnight, Troublemaker that some may perceive as snobbishness. But Lundblad allows enough air into the script, through comedy, humanity, and the occasional pun, that I felt in on the joke. It’s like hanging out with a smart friend who makes you feel a little smarter, too.

Voltaire and Goodnight are able to achieve their death-defying feat with a recipe that includes coffee — 48 cups a day, per person —- as well as laughter, meditation (or pondering), and a mysterious herb. Their immortality enables our ageless heroes to cut through cowboys and yippies with their razor-sharp wit borne of the wisdom of ages.

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Carin Metzger and Tippin in a scene from Goodnight, Troublemaker.

It’s a lot of fun to watch, especially because Tippin, as Voltaire, and Metzger, as Goodnight, both deliver incredibly engaging and authentic performances. Both actors have serious old-soul mojo, but the gravity of their characters are tempered by a lightness and sense of humor that makes them both very enjoyable to watch — even if we don’t always understand what’s going on. 

Tippin and Metzger are aided by Strother Stingley, whose performance lives up to the high expectations set by his amazing name. As an 18th-century priest, a drawling cowboy, a “Groucho Marxist,” and a digital hacktivist, Stingley certainly has the widest range of characters to play. He embodies them all with humor and gusto.

The fourth cast member, Jenni Robinson, also plays four roles, including the crucial part of Voltaire’s daughter, Marie. She is spot-on, bringing a grounding energy that is necessary to balancing out such a high-concept script.

Goodnight, Troublemaker is not simply a series of vignettes — there are recognizable thematic through-lines about doubt vs. belief, the utility/futility of big ideas, and the thin line between zealot and heretic.

However, the ending of Troublemaker is more opaque than the preceding action. There are a number of seemingly important plot devices stuffed into the last 15 minutes, and a series of overlapping flashbacks obfuscates the conclusion in a way that’s somewhat unsatisfying. 

That being said, I didn’t necessarily dislike walking out of the theater not having everything figured out. Sometimes the best puzzles are the ones that leave you meditating — that is, pondering — on what you just witnessed. Goodnight, Troublemaker is certainly a play that will make you think — and have a great time doing so. Immortality not included.

Goodnight, Troublemaker runs through February 22 at the BeBe Theatre in downtown Asheville. For details and tickets, visit The Sublime Theater on Facebook. Tickets available directly through Brown Paper Tickets.

(Photos: Courtesy of The Sublime Theater; at top of page, Strother Stingley)

Tippin and Carin Metzger in a scene from Goodnight, Troublemaker.