"Polarity’s new sci-fi spoof sports a strong and enthusiastic cast...
"A cheeseball homage to sci-fi pulp that derives a lot of charm from the cast and strong staging...
"The visual design by artist lewis lain convincingly renders the interior of the space station Ephemera, complete with an air lock and spectacular window view of the cosmos...and the cast gives spirited performances. I was particularly struck by Jonas Grey as Colonel Bowie, who delivers surprisingly candid moments in an otherwise madcap affair. Director Sturm wraps it in lively staging that fills the theater with action."
-- Ryan Dolley, Time Out Chicago

"Bryce Wissel's comedy takes place on board the Ephemera, a purgatorial space station whose three-person crew no longer remember their mission. They're joined by a monkey who can talk, thanks to prolonged exposure to radiation and freeze-dried ice cream, and a lovelorn, Spanish-accented robot (played by Kaelan Strouse with about as much restraint as a telenovela villain)...Lewis Lain's cerulean cardboard set and props have a sophisticated playtime look, and Bob Wilson gives the ship's commander a hilarious, empty-headed certainty reminiscent of George W. Bush."
--Zac Thompson, Chicago Reader

Ephemera runs through May 1 at 1500 N. Bell Street, Chicago, near the Damen Blue Line CTA station. Tickets are $19. Senior discount tickets (age 65 and older) are $15 and student discount tickets are $10 with valid ID. Showtimes are Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm, and Sundays at 3pm. Seating is general admission. Buy tickets now!

"Referencing everything from Buck Rogers to "2001" to Ray Bradbury and "Planet of the Apes," this sci-fi space odyssey from writer Bryce Wissel for Polarity Ensemble has plenty of high aims... Kim Boler is terrific as the lone female crew member, a no-B.S. type who becomes an all-purpose object of fantasy for the men, and Bob Wilson's commander is a daffy take-off on William Shatner ... the entire design team has outdone themselves..."
--Nina Metz, Chicago Tribune

"You have to hand it to Polarity Ensemble Theatre’s latest production, a daffy space opera called Ephemera. It wings its charming way through its almost stream-of-consciousness universe... Davy (played with superb body language by Charley Jordan) was the original test monkey sent into space during NASA’s early exploration days. Perhaps–and only perhaps–decades of exposure to interstellar radiation have speeded his evolution to the point where he can hold affable conversation, jovially drink down the station’s alcohol and hit on Colonel Kate McBride (Kim Boler). True to sci-fi/action thriller formula, Kate’s the only female on board–so, of course, Davy’s not Kate’s only suitor. Manuel (Kaelan Strouse), an android who was probably weaned on Telemundo programming, exerts all his exuberant Latin charm to woo her–not to mention showboat the audience... Commander William B. Travis (played with absurdist brilliance by Bob Wilson) and...the comedy’s non-linear story structure, replete with dropped-in asides from the characters, instills repetitive and nonsensical time loops in the action. Wissel’s comedy matches the flukiness of Douglas Adams’ or even Tom Robbins’ novels... Sturm’s cast is spot-on in pace, timing and delivery—a factor made all the more exacting by the production’s technical elements. Plus, artist lewis lains’ set design and further art installations create a great space for the cast’s gentle and gracious finale that brings the show home clean, clear and truthful."
--Paige Listerud, Chicago Theater Blog