THEATER REVIEW:OCC student’s ‘Air Born’ soars

Say you were writing a play based on the Wright brothers’ achievements at Kitty Hawk, N.C., in 1903. Could you get past all the technical jargon and aerodynamic references that would make the show fly higher over people’s heads than the Wrights’ first airplane?

Sean Engard could, and did, in his fascinating historical piece “Air Born: The Story of the Wright Brothers,” which turns the Wright brothers’ quest for flight into a sheer comic delight. Characters from that period may not be represented accurately, but in the end how much does that really matter when the finished product is so goofily tasty?

Engard, an Orange Coast College student and the school’s resident playwright, has concocted a perky, quirky comedy from the adventures of Wilbur and Orville as the bicycle shop operators from Dayton, Ohio, became the first human beings to pilot a flying machine — albeit even for a few airborne feet (852) for about a minute’s duration at 31 mph.

The author has found a kindred spirit in director Alex Golson, head of the OCC drama department and a fellow Wright Brothers aficionado.

Golson and scenic designer David Scaglione, whose wide-open setting is backed by screened photos of the period, have gotten Engard’s achievement off the ground splendidly.

The inherent conflict of men versus the sky is not enough tension for Engard, who pits the Wrights frequently against one another early on in their quest for flight, and eventually against a French interloper and a stuffy Smithsonian Institution representative.

Bringing the aviation pioneers from the history books to life are a pair of dynamic OCC actors, Casey Moriarty as the elder, pragmatic Orville and Jeff Kieviet as his younger, more volatile brother Wilbur. Kieviet has the flashier part and brandishes it with an inventor’s enthusiasm, while Moriarty provides a strong, stubborn sounding board.

David Cowan as the young men’s bishop father, who initially opposes their venture, and Matt Jensen as the enthusiastic chief of the North Carolina “lifesavers,” whose crew assists the Wrights, are the standouts of the supporting cast, but there are many bright spots among these characters added to provide local color.

James Barrett is especially effective as the goofiest of the Southern goofballs.

Marisa Elizabeth Ingenito scores as the Wrights’ supportive sister. And Rickard Lindholm provides a pinch of villainy as the haughty Frenchman who’s both disdainful of the Wrights’ achievements and envious of them.

Engard provides historical context with the introduction of a women’s suffrage subplot involving a pair of British ladies (Taylor McDermott and Courtney Chudleigh) and their American comrades in arms (Stacey Marron, Jessica Galanter and Veronica Verters). This section trips a few laughs but could easily be jettisoned from the already brief exercise.

The period costumes, designed by Cynthia Corley, are a particular plus, lending an air of authenticity to the early 20th century time frame. Rick Golson’s lighting and Brock Cilley’s sound effects further enhance the production.

Even with a few minor glitches, “Air Born” is a remarkable achievement, putting a human face — and a comical one at that — on two figures long buried in the history books.

IF YOU GOAir Born: The Story of the Wright Brothers”

WHAT: “

WHERE: Orange Coast College Drama Lab

WHEN: Closing performances at 8 p.m. tonight and Saturday, and at 2:30 p.m. Sunday.

COST: $7 to $8

CALL: (714) 432 5880