BY JOSE MARTINEZ

Most folks spend Super Bowl Sunday indulging...drinking, over-eating, glued to every play on the field, or at least glued to the commercials most people will be gabbing at water cooler pow-wows. But that's not how they do it in Venice Beach.

No, the sport of choice is most often surfing and the (healthy) over-eating comes by way of the munchies. And they like their entertainment out there. Take for example, Mystic, the avant garde production which just finished a run of eight successful performances over four nights.

Billed as a "spine-tingling multimedia theatrical experience exploring the mystery of human origin, the evolution of consciousness, and galactic destiny," the show features performers from Cirque du Soleil, Rabbit in the Moon, Firegroove, Lucent Dossier, Mixology, and Mass Ensemble.

Mystic's musical score incorporates remixes from Radiohead, Depeche Mode, and Future Primitive, among others, to assist in the narrative thrust. What exactly the narrative is telling is up for grabs. Considering I wasn't under the influence, as opposed to the smelly (i.e. "earthy") couple sitting next to me, we probably saw different shows.

According to the producers, "The characters and plot are based on a synthesis of archetypal figures from Gnostic, Sumerian, Aboriginal, Mayan & Hopi Indian mythology."

That being said, I can't really tell you anything I learned about human origin from Mystic (maybe it had something to do with aliens), but I can say that the provocative multimedia video art, along with cutting-edge modern dance definitely proves to be very entertaining.

Probably too hippie for Vegas, the show, playing to a sold out audience, really hits a homerun with its target audience.

Bill Close, inventor of the Earth Harp, a 20-foot long harp sans frame, a featured component of the production, really impressed. According to Close, "The Earth Harp transforms architectural environments into giant musical instruments that connect everyone with sympathetic resonance. The context of the Mystic show, the amazing dancers, and the intimate space of the Electric Lodge create a truly mystical experience for all who are lucky enough to see it."

L.A. residents who like their art with bite should note two encore performances have been added for Friday night. Throw plot and storyline out the window, this is theatre and after all, isn't it a little more fun when you just don't quite know what's going on?

Mystic plays Friday, February 6 at 7PM and 9PM at the Electric Lodge in Venice Beach, CA. For more information see www.mysticlive.org.

[Photo Credits: (top) Karl Wood; (middle) Brien E. Rullman]