New Millennium Theatre Company’s “Plans 1 Through 8 from Outer Space” is probably the epitome of the word “zany”. Packed with outlandish humor and bizarre characters “Plans 1 Through 8” is the story of an alien race intent on taking over the Earthlings by the use of a series of plans, which fail one after the other. Alien overlords Eros, Tanna and the Ruler are the masterminds of overtaking Earth by executing such strategies as using subliminal messages in music and distributing mind-controlling lemonade amongst others. 

Inspired by the 1959 Ed Wood film widely dubbed as the worst movie ever made, Plan 9 from Outer Space, the play’s premise is actually their prequel in which eight plans failed before reaching the ninth. With each plan as absurd as the next, “Plans 1 Through 8” provides plenty of hilarious moments from a comical “Elvis” performance to a vaporized vampiress.

Naturally, the storyline is pretty silly, which makes it all that much funnier, but it’s the gifted cast that really adds humor to the show. John Champion shows off terrific comic timing as “Eros” while Jessie Spear and Robert Ertel are fantastic as his cohorts “Tanna” and “Ruler”. Bryan Breau is also notably funny as Criswell, the animated narrator.

“Plans 1 Through 8 from Outer Space” also makes the most out of their props and special effects getting big laughs when a small flying saucer appeared hanging from a string at the end of a stick.

“Plans 1 Through 8” is NMTC member Sean Harklerode’s directorial debut with the company and it is apparent that he understands the art of conveying comedy from the stage to the audience.