SATE’s current offering is the premiere of Classic Adventure Movie; or Never Say Die. The affectionate parody pays homage to The Goonies, the 1985 classic in which kids get to live out an Indiana Jones–style adventure.

The Goonies was created by Hollywood royalty. Steven Spielberg wrote the original story and produced the film. The screenwriter was Chris Columbus, who also wrote Gremlins, Home Alone, and Mrs. Doubtfire. The director was Richard Donner, who also directed films in the Superman and Lethal Weapon franchises. The Goonies’ status as a classic was confirmed in 2017, when the Library of Congress added it to the United States National Film Registry.

Like its source, Classic Adventure Movie is about a group of youngsters who call themselves the Goonies. They live in the Goon Docks neighborhood of Astoria, Oregon, but they might not be there much longer. Their families are about to lose their homes to greedy land developers who plan to demolish the houses and eventually replace them with a golf course. The play seems even more contemptuous of the developers than the movie.

At what may be the Goonies’ last meeting ever, they come across a 17th-century coin and an old map. Both are clues leading to the hidden treasure of the pirate One-Eyed Willy. Hoping to use the treasure to save their homes, the group follows the clues to a rundown restaurant used as a hideout by the Fratelli crime family. They are on the run after breaking Jake Fratelli out of jail. As the Goonies venture into the caves beneath the building, they must elude both the Fratellis and the booby traps set by One-Eyed Willy.

Classic Adventure Movie is clever, fast-pace, and performed with infectious enthusiasm. The better you know the movie, the more you will get out of the parody.

The SATE adaptation was conceived by Rachel Tibbetts, Cassidy Flynn, and Keating, who wrote the script. Keating also wrote an earlier SATE parody, Classic Mystery Game, which was based on Clue.

A noteworthy feature of the current script is its use of monologues interspersed with the action. Each cast member steps briefly out of their role to pay tribute to their favorite adventure movie. The procedure here is like the one SATE used in First Impressions, the company’s adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. In the stage version, scenes from source alternated with contemporary readers’ first impressions of the novel, whose original title was First Impressions.

The monologues in Classic Mystery Game cover a wider range of films than one might expect, but each testimonial is heartfelt and thought provoking. A publicity email sent out by SATE gives the impression that the sentiments expressed are the actors’ own in almost every case. I would like to have seen more contrast between the delivery of monologues and the dialogue.

The SATE cast is excellent. The Goonies are played by Ashwini Arora as Data, Cassidy Flynn as Mouth, Ricki Franklin as Mikey, Keating as Chunk, Hailey Medrano as Andy, Carl Overly, Jr. as Brand, and Marcy Wiegert as Stef.

The Fratellis are LaWanda Jackson as Mama, Anthony Kramer as Jake, Victor Mendez as Francis. The two narrators are Barb and Lizzie, played by Katie Donnelly and Courtney Bailey respectively. Both narrators take on multiple roles. Frankie Ferrari plays Cyndi Lauper, who had a cameo in the movie and wrote and sang its theme song.

The admirable work by the production ensemble includes Rachel Tibbetts’ direction, Denisse Chavez’s lighting, Liz Hennings costumes, Erik Kuhn’s set and fight direction, Ellie Schwetye’s sound, and Katherine Leemon’s props.

Classic Adventure Movie; or Never Say Die continues at 7 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays through September 27 at The Chapel, 6238 Alexander Drive.

—Gerry Kowarsky

Photo by Joey Rumpell
Center, clockwise from 12: Carl Overly, Jr. as Brand, Cassidy Flynn as Mouth, Ashwini Arora as Data, Keating as Chunk, and Ricki Franklin as Mikey.
Within the picture frame, from the left: Courtney Bailey and Frankie Ferrari.