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'Charlie Victor Romeo' takes flight

Fasten seat belts, indeed.

The cast of eight in Charlie Victor Romeo regroups in various configurations, and the production is so tense it may not be suitable for those who have a fear of flying.

It's white-knuckle time at the Hobby Center's Zilkha Hall, where tense cockpit dramas from real-life airline emergencies take the stage in Charlie Victor Romeo.

Derived entirely from transcripts of six "black box" recordings chronicling planes in distress, CVR presents its scenes in simple, straightforward fashion, eschewing sensationalism.

A slide identifies each flight, giving the date of the incident and the nature of the crisis, from "icing" to "multiple bird strikes."

The capable cast of eight regroups in various configurations, enacting the pilots, first officers, flight attendants, engineers and others who appear in the scenes.

The general pattern is a progression from normalcy (starting with playful banter in a couple of cases) to the initial recognition of a problem to the increasing urgency of crisis.

Some scenes are fairly short, ending abruptly.

A couple are more extended, as crew members struggle to set things right in nightmarish situations. In one case, all air-data systems are inoperative, making it impossible to determine speed or altitude. In another, catastrophic failure of a tail-mounted engine causes the loss of all three of the hydraulic systems that power the flight controls.

Each scene blacks out at the moment when the black-box recording breaks off. A slide reiterates the previous data, adding the outcomes in each case. They range from "no casualties" to "no survivors."

CVR was created by Bob Berger, Patrick Daniels and Irving Gregory, of off-off-Broadway's Collective: Unconscious Theater, where the show premiered in 1999. Strong response from critics and audiences led to an extended New York run and the current tour.

The title is a synonym (used by pilots) for cockpit voice recorder.

The creators read hundreds of transcripts before selecting the six included in this performance documentary. Though the transcripts were edited, nothing was added. The result is an authentic depiction of a complex, behind-the-scenes reality passengers can only imagine.

CVR plays with an understated intensity. It hardly need exaggerate or dramatize. Everyone knows what is at stake.

Despite occasional bursts of alarm, exasperation or panic, the prevailing impression is the quiet professionalism of the crew members, who calmly do their work in even the most difficult circumstances. That's the reassuring aspect of the show. Nonetheless, it's probably not for the faint of heart or fearful of flying.

Those who attend should consider remaining for the discussion that follows the show; it's most interesting. The aviation community apparently has taken CVR to heart for its restraint and accuracy.

Given the content, Charlie Victor Romeo seems a good bet to keep audiences locked in full upright position throughout.

Charlie Victor Romeo

When: 7:30 p.m. today-Saturday

Where: Zilkha Hall, Hobby Center, 800 Bagby

Tickets: $29-$45; 713-227-4772