One Man Star Wars Trilogy
Encyclopedia
One Man Star Wars Trilogy is an Off-Broadway
play based on the original Star Wars
trilogy, written and performed by Canadian
actor
Charles Ross, and directed by TJ Dawe
. It premiered in Toronto, Ontario in January, 2001, and has since toured worldwide, with over 1,000 performances in 119 cities as of March 2007.
, Canada, the play runs for 75 minutes (although earlier incarnations lasted for one hour) and has only one cast member. Ross plays all the characters, recreates the effects, inserts factoid
s when appropriate, sings from the John Williams
score, flies the ships, and fights both sides of the battles. The inspiration came from playing frisbee
with friends; the thrower would say a line from the movies, and the catcher had to say the following line while catching.
His impersonation of R2-D2
has been described as spot on, but Ross himself has said, "I've always thought my Yoda
voice sounded too much like a goblin sucking helium." Ross has purportedly seen the original trilogy over 400 times.
The show is licensed by Lucasfilm
. Charles Ross has also used the concept with other film trilogies, including "One Man Lord of the Rings
", which was performed from 2004 to 2005. Ross was asked to stop performing by the intellectual property
holder. The legal issues have since been sorted out and he performed the "One Man Lord of the Rings" show at the 2009 Edinburgh Fringe
.
to a touring show with sold-out crowds and television
appearances. He's been on NBC
's Late Night with Conan O'Brien
and CBS
's Late Late Show. Ross has performed the show for Vin Diesel
and the rest of the cast on the set of The Chronicles of Riddick
, at the world science fiction convention masquerade half time show (Noreascon
) in 2004, at Star Wars Celebrations III and IV
, and Comic-Con
International 2004 in San Diego. He also hosted a month-long sold-out run at the Edinburgh Fringe
in the E4
Cow Barn.
Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway theater is a term for a professional venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, and for a specific production of a play, musical or revue that appears in such a venue, and which adheres to related trade union and other contracts...
play based on the original Star Wars
Star Wars
Star Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
trilogy, written and performed by Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
Charles Ross, and directed by TJ Dawe
TJ Dawe
TJ Dawe is a Canadian playwright, director, and performer based in Vancouver, British Columbia. He is well known on the Canadian and international fringe theater circuits, having performed and directed at more than 80 festivals worldwide...
. It premiered in Toronto, Ontario in January, 2001, and has since toured worldwide, with over 1,000 performances in 119 cities as of March 2007.
One man play
First performed at the Pavilion Theatre, in Kamloops, British ColumbiaBritish Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, Canada, the play runs for 75 minutes (although earlier incarnations lasted for one hour) and has only one cast member. Ross plays all the characters, recreates the effects, inserts factoid
Factoid
A factoid is a questionable or spurious—unverified, incorrect, or fabricated—statement presented as a fact, but with no veracity. The word can also be used to describe a particularly insignificant or novel fact, in the absence of much relevant context...
s when appropriate, sings from the John Williams
John Williams
John Towner Williams is an American composer, conductor, and pianist. In a career spanning almost six decades, he has composed some of the most recognizable film scores in the history of motion pictures, including the Star Wars saga, Jaws, Superman, the Indiana Jones films, E.T...
score, flies the ships, and fights both sides of the battles. The inspiration came from playing frisbee
Frisbee
A flying disc is a disc-shaped glider that is generally plastic and roughly in diameter, with a lip. The shape of the disc, an airfoil in cross-section, allows it to fly by generating lift as it moves through the air while rotating....
with friends; the thrower would say a line from the movies, and the catcher had to say the following line while catching.
His impersonation of R2-D2
R2-D2
R2-D2 , is a character in the Star Wars universe. An astromech droid, R2-D2 is a major character throughout all six Star Wars films. Along with his droid companion C-3PO, he joins or supports Anakin Skywalker, Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, and Obi-Wan Kenobi in various points in the saga...
has been described as spot on, but Ross himself has said, "I've always thought my Yoda
Yoda
Yoda is a fictional character in the Star Wars universe, appearing in the second and third original films, as well as all three prequel trilogy films. A renowned Jedi master, Yoda made his first on-screen appearance in Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back where he is responsible for...
voice sounded too much like a goblin sucking helium." Ross has purportedly seen the original trilogy over 400 times.
The show is licensed by Lucasfilm
Lucasfilm
Lucasfilm Limited is an American film production company founded by George Lucas in 1971, based in San Francisco, California. Lucas is the company's current chairman and CEO, and Micheline Chau is the president and COO....
. Charles Ross has also used the concept with other film trilogies, including "One Man Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings film trilogy
The Lord of the Rings is an epic film trilogy consisting of three fantasy adventure films based on the three-volume book of the same name by English author J. R. R. Tolkien. The films are The Fellowship of the Ring , The Two Towers and The Return of the King .The films were directed by Peter...
", which was performed from 2004 to 2005. Ross was asked to stop performing by the intellectual property
Intellectual property
Intellectual property is a term referring to a number of distinct types of creations of the mind for which a set of exclusive rights are recognized—and the corresponding fields of law...
holder. The legal issues have since been sorted out and he performed the "One Man Lord of the Rings" show at the 2009 Edinburgh Fringe
Edinburgh Fringe
The Edinburgh Festival Fringe is the world’s largest arts festival. Established in 1947 as an alternative to the Edinburgh International Festival, it takes place annually in Scotland's capital, in the month of August...
.
Performances
Charles Ross's show has gone from a piece performed mostly at fringe festivalsFringe theatre
Fringe theatre is theatre that is not of the mainstream. The term comes from the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, which name comes from Robert Kemp, who described the unofficial companies performing at the same time as the second Edinburgh International Festival as a ‘fringe’, writing: ‘Round the fringe...
to a touring show with sold-out crowds and television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
appearances. He's been on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
's Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Late Night with Conan O'Brien is an American late-night talk show hosted by Conan O'Brien that aired 2,725 episodes on NBC between 1993 and 2009. The show featured varied comedic material, celebrity interviews, and musical and comedy performances. Late Night aired weeknights at 12:37 am...
and CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
's Late Late Show. Ross has performed the show for Vin Diesel
Vin Diesel
Vin Diesel is an American actor, writer, director and producer. He became known in the early 2000s, appearing in several successful Hollywood films, including The Fast and the Furious and xXx...
and the rest of the cast on the set of The Chronicles of Riddick
The Chronicles of Riddick
The Chronicles of Riddick is a 2004 American science fiction film which follows the adventures of Richard B. Riddick, as he attempts to elude capture after the events depicted in the 2000 film Pitch Black, and details his meeting with Jack and Imam, his escape from the prison planet Crematoria, and...
, at the world science fiction convention masquerade half time show (Noreascon
Noreascon
Noreascon is the name given to four Worldcons , all held in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. The latter three were run by Massachusetts Convention Fandom, Inc.* 29th World Science Fiction Convention — Noreascon I...
) in 2004, at Star Wars Celebrations III and IV
Star Wars Celebration
Star Wars Celebration is a fan gathering to celebrate the release of a Star Wars franchise movie. It all began in 1999, when Lucasfilm held the Star Wars Celebration in Denver, Colorado to celebrate the upcoming release of Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace...
, and Comic-Con
Comic-Con
Comic-Con, Comic Con or ComiCon may refer to any of the following Comic book conventions, none of them affiliated to any other:*San Diego Comic-Con International, annual fan convention in San Diego held since 1970, also known as Comic-Con or San Diego Comic-Con*Dallas Comic Con, annual fan...
International 2004 in San Diego. He also hosted a month-long sold-out run at the Edinburgh Fringe
Edinburgh Fringe
The Edinburgh Festival Fringe is the world’s largest arts festival. Established in 1947 as an alternative to the Edinburgh International Festival, it takes place annually in Scotland's capital, in the month of August...
in the E4
E4 (TV)
E4 is a channel on British digital television, launched as a pay-TV companion to Channel 4 on 18 January 2001. The "E" stands for entertainment, and the channel is mainly aimed at the lucrative 15–35 age group...
Cow Barn.