Rocky Horror Returns: Is there more to say here? YES!!!!

One year ago I wrote my thoughts regarding the Rocky Horror Show at Paper Wing Theatre- and so here I am a year later and with another performance I was afraid I'd have nothing to write about. My last experience was amazing, fantastic, glorious, and very entertaining. And so there couldn't be anything more to add to that, right?

Leave it to Koly McBride to kick me in the face with a reminder that no two shows are really the same and that there's always something to think about after an experience. Because not only am I blown away by my experience this year, but there's plenty of things to write about, talk about, and just generally GUSH all over regarding this show. (That pun regarding "gush" is a blatant and perverted reference to ejaculation, for those of you who missed it. Did you miss it? It missed you.)

I mention McBride for two reasons- first, she's the director. Her vision guides the project each year that Paper Wing tackles the show and each year she comes up with new ways to make it new, fresh, and interesting. She knows she has to hit all the familiar notes, she knows she has a huge landmark show to produce that will bring in hardcore fans and new faces alike, and she knows she can't afford to just bring out the same set, the same routines, the same look each and every year. She has to make it interesting- and she does. Last year saw the music coming from a "big band" perspective with horns and rhythm and a distinctly "upper class Jazzy" kind of motif- this year she takes us on a ride through Glam-Rock Punk 70's-80's motif with a that same edge through the music. (I've been told musician Christopher Lopez should get a shout out here, so here it is.)

Second: She fucking nails it as Trixie- though this is a role she shares with actress Kate Hill. I rarely get a chance to see Koly shine as a vocalist, but she has an awesome voice and is always a great performer.

Let me start with LJ Brewer as Frankenfurter- it's always the first place to start and with everything I wrote last year still being in full effect, Brewer's performance takes on a slightly new look along with the whole rest of the show. Yes, he's the rock star. Yes, he's carrying so much of the show across his capable shoulders. Yes, he's glorious. Yes, he gave me and my wife a little shout-out during his opening number with a "Happy Anniversary" (It was our 11th, did I mention? Eleven years of marriage.. wow! Back to the show... ) and the show rocked on with his amazing vocals. Is it any wonder that this is the Paper Wing Theatre's signature show with LJ Brewer in this role?

Jay DeVine also returns in the role of the narrator. Now, many of you faceless readers who are familiar with my earlier thoughts regarding previous performances know damn well that I think Jay is one of the best and most endearing actors on the Central Coast. Firstly, the guy is a work horse- from comedy to horror to serious drama, he can do it all. He plays bigger than life characters and I've never seen any two be the same person. His performance as the Narrator is something very special- not only does he play it well, but he handles audience participation like a pro and often rolls with the punches and comes back up with a few one-two knockouts of his own to throw back at the audience.

 But I wrote about all of this last year- and I said there was more to write about this year, didn't I?

Reprising their roles from last year are Nick Kelly as Brad (asshole), Heather Hahn as Janet (slut!), the very beautiful and capable of cutting, smashing, and slashing with a glance Jourdain Barton as Magenta (She's your sister!) and Taylor Landess as Riff Raff- all of whom are amazing. They always are. But let me take a moment to talk about Landess, who last night took his role to a who'nudda'level last night! GOOD GOD!!! I thought he was going to kill himself during the "Timewarp" with an energy level that just has to be seen to be believed. He was leaping, sliding, jumping, running, and belting out those notes with an absolute FEVER and he didn't need any goddamn cowbell to cure it. Good Fucknuggets, this kid just poured something acidic into his performance and MELTED the goddamn stage down. So what do you do when all of this is going on? What do you pour on top of it?

You bring in a few new cast members to fill out the ranks.

 I've now seen three different ladies play Columbia- each one brings a special something to the role and this occasion is no different. Mindy Whitfield's comedic timing is excellent. I genuinely felt badly for her when she bore the brunt of Frankenfurter's abuse, also. Her tap-dancing routine is definitely something to watch- and watch out when she has her big hissy fit. Hilarious!

And then there was Rocky- I'm speechless. Not a knock any previous Rocky's I've seen before this show but Dan Kutter breaks the goddamn mold up there! Kutter's performance is going to be one to remember for a long time to come- It certainly helps that the guy is cut and defined, has amazing looks, and also looks like he's having a blast up there on the stage. He also knows how to work an audience- he connects with people in the crowd, he offers winks, a flirtatious smile, a flex here and there, and then tops it all of by remaining in the "moment" on stage and continuing to interact with his cast mates. Kudos to Kutter for this performance.

Now, there are two specific roles I haven't mentioned yet: This is because I need to write about the show I see, not the show I don't see an that requires clarification. The roles of Eddy and Dr. Scott are played by multiple people at various points- Ron Moore tackles both roles on some performances while the roles are divided between Michael Alliman as Scott and Andrew Nava as Eddie. So with that said, the performance I saw featured Nava and Alliman in the performance-both are amazing.

Nava's strong vocals have a chance to shine in "Hot Patootie"- the young actor is reprising his performance from last year and he has a whole new comfort level that shows. He's fantastic!  I've enjoyed watching him grow as a performer over the past year and look forward to future stage appearances.

Alliman is hilarious! He tackles Dr. Scott with fervor and chews up the German accent with a love for the show and the theater. He's another one who shows how much fun he's having on the stage with a couple of playful antics with Brewer and some others.

And now I'm going to bring this all around again to talk about the last three performers returning to their roles- all three of whom I've written about plenty in the past but the truth is that something is missing from these thoughts if I don't expound a little on their performances. Nick Kelly is pitch perfect as Brad- he has that cheesy "ham" performance down with a few challenging "poses" to Frank followed by the crumbling realization of his characters nebbishness. Hahn- seriously? The woman come back year after year and fucking kills it over and over again. But let me add something that maybe I haven't mentioned before but bears mentioning... her vocals during "Heroes" have always always always sent chills down my spine from the first time I heard her sing it to last night. So many other songs on the show are considered highlights, but that one moment (at least for me) is a huge moment that shows just how powerful, emotional, and heart-wrenching a performer that Hahn is. She's gifted in so many ways and I love watching that moment.

And Jourdain Barton? Magenta haunts the whole of the production with her withering glares, a few rolling eyes, and a slightly sadistic chuckle regarding the plight of our "would-be heroes" and her employer. I mentioned Landess earlier performance during the "Time Warp", all of which is possible because Barton matches his vocal strength perfectly an shows terrific restraint in sadistically watching her brother go fucking bonkers-

In other words: All three fucking deliver year after year.

5 out of 5.

Photos Courtesy: Robbie Ann Cunningham 

Belladonna's Room of Mysterious Mysteries @ Paperwing Fremont: Thoughts.

I like puppets.

I actually think it's a pretty cool way to express theater and art.

My friend is Cody Moore, an amazing artist and theatrical personality that I've had the pleasure of working with at various points in my own theater career. I own one of his paintings, which is hanging on the wall beside me at the moment that I'm typing. It was a birthday present from my wife. He's awesome- and in everything he does he puts his heart and soul into it and it always shows. He's fantastic!

Belladonna's Rom of Mysterious Mysteries is presented by Cody and Ricki Vincent at Paper Wing Fremont- it's an interesting spectacle of storytelling and variety show shenanigans anchored by Moore's full body puppetry that he carries on his shoulders- figuratively and literally. And he absolutely shines.

Cody Moore is Belladonna, a witch or fortune teller with a shop of mystery and amazement- she hosts the audience with comedic shenanigans and introduces the various acts taking place. The full body suit reminds me a little of the Hags from Labrynth and the facial construction of the witch is full on outstanding- one eye bulges while another squints through a lid forced half shut by wrinkles.

The Mirror Ghost was fantastic- I cracked up with her false finishes and facial expressions, even if the mirror's twist made it a little difficult to follow from certain angles. The performance was well done.

The strip teasing puppetry was fluid and very fun to watch work.

And then there was Jody Gilmore with a nice nod to the original Frankenstein when he introduced the show and its' performers.

And then there was Ricki Vincent- who started the show with a very passionate nod to his own art that I appreciated very deeply right up until he decided to talk about people who dropped out of the project for whatever reason they felt necessary. Calling out a specific show by name, citing specific incidents and insulting these people who were unable to DONATE their fucking time to his project was classless and immediately set my hackles up since I do know precisely how valuable a commodity time can be in an art form. Any art form.

And the fact is that I wish I could've let it go at that- but he continues his form of "art" by attacking people during his own performance (The only dialogue not previously recorded) by going after Republicans. I already criticized the last show I saw for doing such a thing- obviously I'm going to be consistent here.

As these were the only real drawbacks to the performance I do still recommend it. I think puppetry is awesome and Cody Moore really carries on with an amazing performance- Other shout outs to the stripper marionette and the fluid control with which the handlers brought life to the figure. The set was well done and I loved the little Subspecies in the jar near the mirror- love Full Moon Video.

3 out of 5.

*EDIT NOTE: The portion featuring the demon Dante was an "ad lib" part of the show where the demon takes questions from the audience. The issue regarding the attack on Republicans may not be indicative of additional shows throughout the run, but as I'm only able to write about the shows I actually see I can't comment regarding shows I haven't seen. I apologize if my thoughts were in any way misleading. Additionally, I don't want anyone to take my views too seriously... I'm a guy on a computer with an opinion. Nothing more, nothing less.

I am adding this note because I've been battering myself for the past 24 hours regarding whether I should share my thoughts or not. I've talked about it with colleagues and friends, none of whom are saying I should take down my thoughts- I'm adding this note because while I may have had a difference of opinion that in no way diminishes my respect for ANY of the performers as artists. That includes Ricki Vincent, who I do admire for his innovations in the realm of puppetry and performance art. And this show has so much going for it that my few issues should not be seen as anything close to a condemnation or slam- they're just the ranting opinions of a guy who occasionally can't keep his opinions in his head.

shaking crying and horrified: My thoughts on "Tusk"

Kevin Smith is one of the defining voices of my generation. That isn't always a good thing, mind you- I often think he's a vacuous, fearful, and somewhat arrogant little prick but Clerks, Mallrats, Chasing Amy, and Dogma are some of the best comedy films I've ever seen and the guy mostly cracks me up. There are some clear misses in his repertoire, though- Cop Out was awful. His decision to step away from The Green Hornet was cowardly. Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back was fan service masturbatory back slapping. Red State was political pandering. And, largely, he tells the same story over and over again- even with a different plot the story's theme often remains the same... accepting responsibility for yourself and being a goddamn grownup.

So I wasn't ga-ga over seeing "Tusk" but the Human Centipede-like story was intriguing enough to stir my curiosity. I mean, body alteration horror is not always my bag but I know it'll at least bring me a few laughs. So I took myself to the theater for a matinee show and plopped myself down in an empty theater to catch this one before it made it's exit. Now that I've given you some back story regarding my thoughts on Kevin Smith as a film maker allow me to tell you about the film.

"Tusk" is about a foulmouthed podcaster/comedian (Justin Long) whose career is taking off when he adapts the vicious personality of an unfettered douchebag hipster. He makes fun of people on the internet... that's his life. His fiancee (Genesis Rodriguez) doesn't like the "new" version of him, his partner (Haley Joel Osmont) is riding those coattails to the top, and even he may not be very fond of the new him. But when his latest attempt to interview one of his recent targets goes awry, he comes across a posted ad where an old seaman will rent a room in return for nothing more than a willing ear to his life's adventures. And so Wallace sets out to meet Howard Howe(Michael Parks)- and things become twisted from here on out.

The general premise here is that Howard wants to turn Wallace into a human-Walrus hybrid. He drugs him, cuts off his leg, explains his plan, and then starts in on the process while the fiancee and partner set out to track down Wallace with the help of the mysterious "Guy Lapointe". And all of this sounds like a ridiculous premise for a film- it's absurd, it's comedic, and how in the hell could this ridiculous idea even start to give me the shivers? Because the spectacle is one thing- we've seen it in the Human Centipede and various other "shock body horror" films... but Kevin Smith has something to say here and he makes this movie very much about the characters. And this is where the film breaks with the comedy and the absurd because it is very much about the physical and psychological transformation of Wallace and the people in his life.

Justin Long may never win an award for his performance- but it's intense. He's a douche bag, he's a monster before the film begins, and what he becomes is a horror. What happens is a horror. And the film belongs to him and Parks. I can't spoil the film for you, my dear faceless reader- but the end tore me apart in a place I can't even begin to fathom. I'm wrecked. I left the theater and I was stunned- I managed to get to my car where I suddenly broke down crying as the end replayed over and over again in my skull. And I cannot recommend this film- because it horrified me and tore me apart.

Kevin Smith has something to say here and it isn't comfortable and it's more than a little autobiographical in regards to how he may see himself at times. This is a guy filled with regrets and fears and maybe more than a little of what brought him to the theater just crawling around in his soul and wanting to be something more. I don't know how to rate this film... so I"m going to be as honest as I can and look at myself in a way I often don't: As an artist and an appreciator of Art, even if it's ugly and horrifying.

5 out of 5.

It's so FLUFFY!!! =) (The Marvelous Wondrettes at Paper Wing Theatre: Thoughts)

The Marvelous Wondrettes: A musical by Roger Bean

IT’S SO FLUFFY!!!

While I love an edgy show with lots of cussing, lots of violence, a little bit of naughtiness, and some deeply troubling issues to ponder during the drive home- the truth is that I also want to sit there with my son and keep an arm wrapped around him and listen to him laugh, gasp, and say “Wow!”. So when the opportunity came to watch a show that promised a bit of the family friendly entertainment that I was looking for, I jumped and packed the wife and kid in the car and took off for an evening at Paper Wing Theatre’s production of “The Marvelous Wondrettes”, the latest musical production to hit the central coast.

The story is pretty simple- four girls perform a number of popular standards at the High School Prom, interlacing stories that lead directly from one song to the next culminating in the crowning of a the Prom Queen before intermission. When we return, the girls return for their ten year reunion to perform once again, and once again interlace stories from their personal lives that lead directly from one song to the next. There’s audience participation as someone is inevitably dragged to the stage for a number of songs dedicated to their vocal instructor, “Mr. Lee”. (This happened to be me in the performance I saw. Woohoo!) Other audience members and the lighting booth are also referred to as a number of characters in the lives of the four ladies.

And who are these four ladies? The ring-leader and goodie-two-shoes type, Missy, is played by Kate Bradley Faber (who wears two hats as the shows Director). Faber is hilariously awkward in glasses, a too bright smile, and a perpetual goody-two-shoes cheerfulness that unites the other three ladies in spirit and more. Cindy Lou (Jacqui Hope) is the saucy one- laying some beautiful vocals and “make me a star” posing that borders the antagonistic in the first half of the show but reveals a touching level of warmth in the second. Suzy is the blonde ditzy one whose bubble gum chewing and slightly off step clumsiness offers Alyca Tanner’s comedic prowess to shine. And, finally, Laura Hodge rounds out the group as Betty Jean, also called (with a tongue very firmly planted in the cheek) “BJ”. She’s Cindy’s best friend, rival, and foil through much of the production. Her antics to antagonize of undermine the other girl are hilarious! We also get some additional voice-over work from stage manager, Cheryl Karoly, and lighting technician, Ralph Cardoza.

I don’t want to get too much into the songs covered because some of them might bring back nostalgic memories for quite a few and should be experienced more than talked about. “Mr. Sandman” makes an appearance, “Lipstick On Your Collar” is found, and there’s definitely a “Heatwave” in the air. See what I did there? Gave you some titles while making it fit in with a certain degree of narrative description- that right there is talented writing, yo. The songs are all amazingly performed and the lucky souls who get pulled to the stage will get a particular thrill.  

This show is pure fluff- no deep dark deceptions, no screams of horror, no titillating moments of an obscene nature, and no deep explorations into the darkness of the soul. It’s sweet, it’s innocent and it’s fun!

4.5 out of 5!

The Irish Curse: At Paper Wing Fremont

In the interest of full disclosure, I am preparing to direct my first show  with the same company responsible for this production. I have a clear business and personal relationship with Paper Wing Theatre and with various people involved with this particular production. I maintain this blog out of a personal interest in keeping my writing skills honed and in promoting the local arts in my immediate vicinity. If you believe this will color my opinion, there’s nothing I can say to change your mind- if you want to read my thoughts, by all means continue and see what I thought of this show.

“The Irish Curse”

Wee Willy Winkies are funny. Admit it- you’ve probably made a couple cliché jokes regarding a man’s car, the size of his feet, or his eagerness to carry a gun. It’s a pretty common thing- I use the word cliché for a reason, obviously. It’s virtually a stereotype- more on that term a little later. So Paper Wing Theatre’s Fremont Location plays host to a show devoted entirely to the Irish Curse and a support group for men whose package may be little more than the envelope found in the bottom of a Cracker Jacks box.

The Irish Curse opened this past Friday and I was lucky enough to attend- Not only that, but I also won a free ticket, my family was out of town, and I needed a good laugh for the weekend. Now- if I want a good laugh there’s definitely one performer that I know who has done more to explore the nature of comedy as an art form than any other person I know. Jody Gilmore was advertised to be helming this puppy from the director’s seat and I have yet to see him go wrong with ANY show he’s ever been involved with. And he doesn’t fail to deliver here, either.

The ensemble cast are New York Irish men brought together by the genetic inconsistency regarding the size of particular body parts. They meet on a weekly basis and they discuss their problems, but it isn’t until the latest newcomer to the group arrives that the men are forced to expose far more than they thought they had- that their feelings run a little deeper than the resentment of God’s little “gift” and involves moments of shame, humiliation, depression, loneliness, and rage.

The group was started out of a dare between the groups two primary organizers, Father Kevin and Joseph, a middle aged and slightly uptown lawyer coping with the end of his marriage. Endlessly chatty and a little on the gullible side, Phil Livernois plays a ranting, raving, and emotionally damaged grump of a man with a bizarrely optimistic outlook on the direction of his life. He’s also the member of the group most willing to confront his demons head on despite (or perhaps in spite of) his nebbish nature. He’s bookended well by the youngest member of the group; Rick (played by Brian Benjamin Balistrari). He’s a brazen braggart boasting about one conquest after another to anyone that might listen. He stuffs his jock strap and has a girlfriend back home and he plays off Josef’s nebbishness and courage in reverse- he’s the first member to speak up and he’s the first person challenged to go a little deeper and expose more than he’s prepared to. And everyone gets in on the the discussion here, so don’t forget about Father Kevin (played by Richard Mueller). Even he has a few personal demons to exorcise on this rainy night.

Everyone has their story- and for every story there are questions, and that’s where Kieran comes in. 

Robert Feeney delivers his best performance to date. He’s been best known on the coast for is turn as “Trekkie” in the local production of Avenue Q, but I’ve never seen him tackle the range of a character like Keiran before. That he delivers such a nuanced performance with a thick Irish Brogue that never once threatens to spill out into Python-esque ridiculousness is testament alone to Feeney’s depth as a performer. But the nuances are what plays best- his sense of timing, his ability to expression emotions without a word, and the clear art of “listening” are what brings the character to life in the story. His character acts as a sort of audience surrogate at first, posing questions and then listening to the answers- but it’s that listening that brings him away from the audience. It’s the listening and the emotional impact of what he hears that lures the audience into identifying and caring about the group as a whole.

And for every good “hero” there has to be a good villain- LJ Brewer hits the ground running as an undercover NYPD officer whose life revolves around the Job and a series of meaningless flings with other men. Stephen’s a bitter, cynical, wise-cracking blowhard who lashes out at those around him with one biting insult after another. He’s an antagonist to the core- but maybe he doesn’t always want to be that- he’s forced to confront more of himself than he ever wanted when he’s repeatedly challenged by the other members of the group. And each of them regain a little more of their own self worth as they present their challenges- to stereotypes, religion, the authority of a police officer, the culture of sex in marketing, and the perception of society’s pressure around them.

Which brings me to my one problem with the script itself. As nearly every rant or assertion is met with a challenge, one politically pandering rant felt like it came straight out of left field (pun intended).  It’s met with cheers from a contingent of the paying audience, but it took me completely out of the story for a moment. Unlike so much of the play, it was met with no challenge, no discussion, and simply accepted as an “as is” sort of declaration. And let me be clear- I’ve never made it a secret where my own political inclinations lie, but I’m not usually prone to getting butt-hurt when a few lines of dialogue betray the playwright’s beliefs. I’ve even been in plays that were often very clearly leaning in a direction opposite of my own- but for a play that deals with challenges to nearly every other declaration, this brief moment took me out of the action that I thought it bore mentioning.

The Irish Curse is a funny play about men facing their insecurities. It’s deeply challenging but there’s plenty of comedy and camaraderie between the cast members that audience members can choose to accept the cigar for what it is. It continues to run throughout most of September at the Paper Wing Fremont location, Fridays and Saturday nights at 8:00 PM. The language and graphic subject matter may not be appropriate for younger audiences.

4 out of 5.

(Back there was an attempt at making a Freudian joke- it relies very heavily on my reader being aware that Freud once said “Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar”- this was clearly meant to be a joke regarding the phallic nature of his interpretations. It’s a not-too-obscure reference but one that I felt may require explanation so that you, my dear faceless reader, might not feel too lost. You must completely forget that my over-explaining the joke undoubtedly destroyed any shred of humor that may have been in that all so brief and yet overly explained moment in reading the review… PS. I’m not doing this for word count, but rather because I’m writing most of this as a stream of conscious thought.)

The Summer Sizzle reviews! Guardians and Turtles

            

It’s been a long time my dearly faceless so let’s get to it:

Guardians of the Galaxy:

Marvel Studios announced production on Guardians a short time ago- it’s got some big names attached to the project, it’s part of the Marvel Universe, and it’s a summer blockbuster- almost all of these things are promises that guarantee at least a decent return in the box office: But it also has director James Gunn at the helm and this changes the dynamic quite a bit for little old me. You see, director James Gunn is a ringer- he’s a guy I keep my eye on. Troma alumni, risk-taker, and the guy who brought us one of the best zombie-alien-comedy-horror hybrids to ever feature Nathan Fillion in a starring role. (Counter THAT argument!) So these are some pretty strange hands to place a huge project of this magnitude- the end question is whether or not the risks were worth taking.

Let me make something clear: Guardians of the Galaxy is NOT a superhero film. Despite taking place in the Marvel Universe, there’s very little that connects this film to any of the previous films beyond the existence of Thanos (who appeared very minimally in the Avengers film and was quite often forgotten by most non-hardcore comic book fans). So there isn’t much to keep the film grounded in the current mythology of the Marvel Universe, and that allows the film to exist on its own merits. And that merit is “Space opera”!

Okay, here’s the thing about Space Opera- there used to be a lot of them. It’s a sub-genre of a sub-genre with a specific niche that has recently been filled by Star Wars and Star Trek with almost total exclusivity. Few movie companies are willing to risk a Space Opera venture- Serenity having been the last one I can remember while everything else is either hardcore science fiction or a “Future War” sort of deal like the Terminator. Whatever- Space Operas are fun little hero quests set in space and Guardians of the Galaxy never lets you forget it. It’s light, it’s fun, the effects are stunning, and the world hopping is always impressive with beautiful shots of the most wondrous and horrifying places to see in the known galaxy.

Be on the look out for cameos galore- Rob Zombie, Nathan Fillion, and Lloyd Kaufman all poke their heads into the film and I’m sure there were more but I lost track. Great fun film for the whole family- well, assuming you’re okay with the occasional cuss word, hand gesture, or body melting laser blasts… okay, fun for a geek family like ours who enjoy Star Wars and Indiana Jones.

4 out of 5. A definite must see.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Heroes in a half shell- with turtle power! Cowabunga dudes! And all that-

Okay, truth be told I wasn’t a big Turtles fan when I grew up. Let me be clear- I was alive and in my early tweens when the show hit the airwaves and my brother got big-time into the turtles. We had the figures but that was largely HIS show- I had my own stuff, he had his stuff, and we didn’t often mix our interests. I could enjoy the turtles but they weren’t the biggest thing in the world to me- but I didn’t hate them either. They were just sort of there and it was a time waster- the movies were interesting if a little on the cheesy side. The comic books were much better…. Darker, grittier, something a bit more vicious and therefore more in my line of interests.

The Michael Bay-produced “Turtle” film is based more on the comic book in regards to the general look and atmosphere- it diverges from traditional source material with regard to some of the background, but not at the cost of the characters themselves. We still have the Turtles, their master Splinter, and the evil dreaded Shredder in all their glory. And it’s a fun ride- Bay’s traditional race-baiting, chauvinism, and potty humor is in low supply (It’s still there, but the supply runs very low) so the film doesn’t drag itself down too much. Action is good, the Ninjas are well animated, and I don’t have all that much to complain about.

On the other hand, it’s not really all that much to talk about either. It’s just a fun little summer film and I’d recommend it if you enjoy genre films. That’s about the best I can say.

3 out of 5.

Well, I certainly have some "Nerve".... hah!

“Nerve”

I don’t have much experience on the dating scene. Let me be totally honest, I haven’t been on too many dates myself. I think the last real date I went on was back in my late teens, maybe my early twenties. I wasn’t the kind of guy who did that sort of thing on a regular basis. I’ve been with the same woman since my mid-twenties, we were married when I was twenty-eight, and that’s really all there is to any of that. I’m not too much of a romantic, so there’s a bit of a challenge for me to identify with the two main protagonists in the latest play at Paper Wing Fremont- but I do remember enough about dating to know just how awkward and uncomfortable it can be.

That’s the main premise of the show- a young couple meet for the first time and go on a date after some on-line interaction. He’s a co-dependent control freak with a history of stalking and she’s a borderline schizophrenic with issues of depression and self-abuse. HILARITY! No, seriously, the show is uncomfortably hilarious and plays to the issues of the severely scarred potential lovebirds with moments of genuine affection interlaced with sudden desperation, fear, and honest introspection. The two characters talk about their lives, their interests, their expectations, and reveal parts of themselves that are both beautiful and ugly.

Director Kate Faber steps into the role of Susan in what I’ve heard was the last minute, but you wouldn’t have been able to tell from the performance I saw. She adjusts to the choreography of expressive dancing, captures the manic confusion of a personality disorder in a way that’s actually honest and compassionate while maintaining a good sense of comedic timing. And actor Richard Westbrook matches her moves and intensity with an awkward possessiveness that straddles a fine line between endearingly comedic and blatantly creepy-scary obsession.

I liked the play. I thought it was a funny character study during a moment in the lives of two very unstable people. There’s enough here left open to audience perception and we’re only privy to the single date on this single night, but this is what theater should be about anyone… an exploration of the human the experience and what different people can experience.

4 out of 5.