Annoyance Theatre: Hot People Island
T Stigge, Jonathan Castillo, Triniti Cruz
Annoyance Theater Presents HOT PEOPLE ISLAND Review - The Biggest Season Yet!
TLDR: Pulling tropes and jokes from all different reality game and dating shows, Hot People Island combines them all into one massive parody show. The cast embodies their specific stereotypes and fully commits to the bits, gags, and jokes for an epic gameshow.
The cast of Hot People Island
The Greatest Mash-Up Of All Mash-Ups
Off in the distance we hear the tribal drums of native islanders…
Or wait, maybe it’s upbeat, electronic dance music…
No wait! It’s got to be bagpipes sounding over the Scottish Highlands…
Wrong on all counts! It’s a karaoke version of “Hot To Go” followed by “She Thinks My Tractor’s Sexy.” We’re dropped into this season’s hottest dating show, Hot People Island where the contestants are hot, but the stakes even hotter.
Creator and writer, Deanna Velandra, has watched a lot of reality TV. How would you be able to tell? Aside from being a reality TV show girlie myself, Hot People Island pulls from multiple reality shows to build this one, huge, massive, better than ever reality show parody. What starts off as an innocuous riff of a dating show slowly turns into a whirlwind of comedy, drama, and…murder!
The host himself, played by Jonathan Castillo, promises a season that is going to be the show’s biggest season yet (because isn’t every season going to be the biggest and hottest season yet?). Not only do we have contestants that fit every stereotype of a person cast on these shows, but they are playing this game that is the kitchen sink of reality shows. Hot People Island pulls inspiration from every show under the sun to give us one ultimate night of fun!
T Stigge, Tyler Harrell, and Gabriella Smurawa
I’m A Girls Girl!
Comes this consistent cry from all the women on the show. They’re not here to cause drama or steal anybody else’s man, afterall, they’re all “girls girl”. And all the men on the show are here for the “right” reasons. Totally. Not one of them is here just to get laid. It’s this kind of tongue-in-cheek humor that has us bought into Hot People Island from the start.
There’s dramatic reveals as we find couples who aren’t coupled up holed up away in the not-so-private hideaway. The date set-up that is the bare minimum of a picnic blanket and two beers. And of course tons of games for the contestants to play in order to win!. And let’s not forget the folks at home and people behind the scenes. Oh yes, Velandra has the YouTuber sleuths and haggard production assistants represented here as well. There’s running gags, drunken karaoke, tons of bits, and one-liners packed into this show.
Tom Cannan and Triniti Cruz
The After Party Thoughts
Full disclosure, I am an avid reality TV/dating/game show watcher. I loved Survivor growing up, Love Island (all versions) became my pandemic show, and Traitors is a new obsession.
That being said, even if you have only a loose understanding of the tropes and themes of these reality TV shows, you would still get all the references in Hot People Island. This is not a show that parodies one specific show with specific character references, just generally taking the funny bits from the various shows and you’ll still find yourself laughing at the absurdity.
For those that aren’t fans of reality TV at all and will have no clue what I mean when I say “hot people in swimsuits sitting on patio furniture,” then this show would not be for you. However, if you are a fan of making fun of these shows or one who loves these shows and doesn’t take them too seriously, then Hot People Island would be a great fit for you!
RECOMMENDED
Gabriella Smurawa, Jake Rhodes, and T Stigge
When
Now through February 28, 2026
Where
The Annoyance Theatre and Bar
851 W Belmont Ave.
Chicago, IL 60657
Runtime: 1hr 40min, no intermission
Tickets
$20+
Tickets can be purchased through the Annoyance Theatre website
Photos
Courtesy of Hot People Island production
Find Allie and The After Party featured on Theatre in Chicago
T Stigge, Triniti Cruz, Carly Nadeau, and Jonathan Castillo
CAST
Jonathan Castillo (Host)
Vanessa Dalpiaz (Madison)
T Stigge (Sandy)
Gabriella Smurawa (Rylie)
Triniti Cruz (Bridget)
Tyler Harrell (Craig)
Jake Rhodes (Jackson)
Maximillian Valdez (George)
Jake Gartung (Freddy)
Tom Cannan (Tom; Understudy Jackson)
Jamie Link (Jam)
Carly Nadeau (Madison/Bridget Swing)
Aneesah Jemei (Sandy/Bridget Swing)
Anna Rose Steinmeyer (Rylie/Madison Swing)
Trey Sorensen (Host/Craig/George)
Anthony Sanberg (Craig/Freddy/Tom Swing)
CREATIVE
Deana Velandra (Playwright)
Maddi LeBlanc (Director; Costume Designer; Social Media)
Sydney Hansen (Fight and Intimacy Director)
Tyler Harrell (Fight Captain)
T Stigge (Intimacy Captain)
Sil Rivera (Stage Manager; Sound Effects)
Tessa Abedon (Stage Management)
Anthony Sanberg (Props; Sound Effects)
Justin Oliver Lance (Props)
Deanna DeMay (Props)
Michael Brooks (Logo/Graphics)
Martina Logan (Costume Designer)
Triniti Cruz (Social Media)