Review: Swearing, smoking, and screwing aplenty in The Altruists
by Nick Smith February 19, 2010
Some days doing the right thing just makes things worse, and you know you should have stayed in bed. But even sleeping late can have fatal consequences, as in the case of the tucked-up murder victim in The Altruists.
The main characters in this satirical farce are young protestors who want to get out and demonstrate, make a difference, make themselves heard, and build a better world. But first they have to find their pants. They also have to figure out what the hell they’re supposed to be marching for, who’s been sleeping with whom, and, oh yeah, who soap opera star Sydney has just shot in a fit of pique.
Director Robbie Thomas staged a frothy Frost/Nixon last year at the Footlights, and he adds equal zest to this riotously lewd new Late Night show. He stops Nicky Silver’s story from getting too heavy-handed, ensuring that the playwright’s caricatured protesters are grounded with real world emotions.
Although there are plenty of funny gags, Thomas wisely emphasizes the relationships between the characters. Ronald the social worker (Jesse Budi) is so infatuated with hopped-up prostitute Lance (Nick Smithson) that he’s oblivious to life’s harsh realities — like Lance’s pimp Scar. Ethan (Will Haden) is so infatuated with himself that he’s more interested in getting laid than saving his girlfriend from a murder rap.
The brother-sister bond between Ronald and Sydney (Charley Boyd) is very believable, especially when Sydney puts her hands on her hips and answers back to her sibling. And Cybil (Emily McKay)’s love-hate relationship with her girl fiend Audrey also rings true.
In a typical play, there’s one character whose appearance spices up the show whenever he pops up onstage. Here, there are three. Budi gives his character many amusing and endearing expressions, tics, and vocal variations. Smithson is equably likeable as the pay-me-now rent boy who learns to trust Ronald. Haden captures the essence of the kind of guy who goes through life loving himself more than any woman could, glorying in his role of macho sex god.
In less believable parts, the two actresses maintain the narrative flow despite their lengthy monologues — mostly rants at their significant others or society, men or The Man. Amazingly, Boyd maintains audience sympathy even though her character is a homicidal rich bitch narcissist. As Cybil, McKay is saddled with the least likeable or realistic character. Although she has some memorable lines and moments, she needs to add more variety to her performance to keep it interesting throughout the play. However, the cast as a whole provides fresh evidence that Charleston is turning out intelligent, versatile young actors.
The costumes are black, basic, or non-existent. The altruists wear T-shirts that read “Black Power” or “Fuck Giuliani;” Lance doesn’t wear much at all. The stage is split into three bedroom sets, the center one raised, each reflecting the situations of the characters who inhabit them. (Lance’s eyes match Ronald’s blue wallpaper.) The lighting, designed by Stage Manager Paige Stanley, does not draw undue attention to itself, switching our attention to each scene in quick succession.
It’s no coincidence that the gay bar where Ronald meets Lance is called the Ram Rod. There are no subtle asides here, no obscure witticisms or gentle prods at the proletariat. Silver’s parodies of fly-by-night protesters, closet straights, lipstick liberals, and naïve youths are broad, harsh, and all the funnier for that. There is swearing, smoking, and fucking aplenty, but if you’re not easily offended, this play will make you laugh and make you think about getting all your facts straight before you jump out of bed to take on the world.
The Footlights’ latest follows rebels without a clue
by Nick Smith February 17, 2010
Although The Altruists premiered off-Broadway in 2000, author Nicky Silver’s unpretentious, politically-incorrect tale of well-meaning radicals seems more relevant than ever in this time of tea baggers and powerful pundits.
Ronald, Ethan, and Cybil are three naïve humanitarians who protest something different every day: arms funding, school and welfare cutbacks, drunk driving, and other moral outrages. They aim to help those who struggle to help themselves — but they’re the ones who really need a guiding hand.
When Ronald’s sister Sydney thinks she’s murdered her boyfriend, she turns to the group to protect her. She’s the one cause they don’t want to back, but she’s rich and they realize that her money could help a lot of needy people. So they set up dumb hunk Lance as the fall guy, which would be the smart thing to do if he wasn’t the love of Ronald’s life. Meanwhile the do-gooders are trying to get to a protest, although they can’t remember what it’s for.
“This play is one of funniest things I’ve ever read,” says director Robbie Thomas. “It’s written by a bad-boy playwright who just says things and knocks you down. It’s like an episode of Seinfeld on speed — it never stops.” Thomas also directed Frost/Nixon at the Footlights last year. He says that The Altruists is something “completely different.”
Although the script calls for actors in their late 20s and early 30s, Thomas decided to use a younger cast, which makes sense considering the shallowness of these social crusaders. Going older was “not the vision I wanted to portray,” says Thomas. Instead he chose thesps in their early to mid-20s who are studying at the College of Charleston or have recently graduated. They all know each other, which helps with the on-stage chemistry, and Thomas has worked with most of them before.
“In high school, Charley Boyd was my friend’s annoying little sister,” he says. “She graduated from college last year and she’s become a pretty darn good actor. Her part of Sydney is so wordy — she starts the play off with a five page monologue with nobody else there.”
Jesse Budi plays Ronald the social worker. “Jesse always seems to make choices that I would never think of,” Thomas says. “I honestly don’t know if any actor should make such off-the-wall choices, but they work for him. He’s incredibly funny.”
The cast is rounded out by Will Haden as Ethan, Emily McKay as Cybil, and Nick Smithson as Lance. Concerning Smithson, Thomas says, “He has a great quirky talent.”
Critics have accused The Altruists of being a simplistic string of gags made at the expense of overzealous political agitators, an hour-and-a-half rant against thoughtless campaigners. But Silver acknowledges that his targets are soft, insisting that these dangerous dimwits need to be satirized anyway. The playwright focuses on entertaining his audience rather than preaching an alternative to protesting for its own sake.
The age of the cast emphasizes another theme: the moral malleability of the young, eager to make a difference but not mature enough to consider a point of view that doesn’t appeal to them.
“The main message appears in the last five minutes,” Thomas says. “It’s a really powerful message about hypocrisy, where doing the right thing isn’t always the right thing.”
At its core, the play is about avoiding hypocrisy by making sure you know all the facts before you embark on a crusade. Thomas adds, “It’s about standing up for what’s right but making sure it’s right. I definitely want people to come away with that.”
Review: Tail Wagger Productions make a healthy debut
by Nick Smith February 15, 2010
Health Nuts is a modest but fun slice of original theater. It’s the brainchild of Christine Power and Lindsay Wine, a local mother and daughter team. Over the past few months they’ve been rehearsing and producing their first stage musical, with a dozen actors, a live band, and about 30 people working behind the scenes.
It’s easy to see why the cast and crew got enthusiastic about the project. There are some very witty lines, addictive songs, and memorable characters. Although the production values are humble and the experience level of the talent is uneven, this is still an enjoyable show.
Fortunately, Nuts benefits from the involvement of some gifted individuals. Wine makes a strong impression as Gwen, a lovelorn lady who joins a gym to hang out with three disparate women. There’s JoAnne (played by Power), who has never met her soul mate. Claudia (Kain Cameron) is on husband number five and is more interested in cocktail hour than a workout. And bubbly Bonnie (Leslie Bogstad) is dim as a post but keeps the other girls going with her enthusiasm for all things fit-related.
The foursome are content to exercise in the dilapidated Health Nuts Gym, but a neighboring rival called Workout World threatens to put it out of business. Owner Roland (Will Lindsay) has to let his staff go and hire his cheaper, clumsier nephew Barrett (Brandon Joyner) instead. JoAnne, Claudia, Gwen, and Bonnie try to save the gym from foreclosure, while Roland brings in a new fitness trainer called Ricardo (Brian Bogstad, also directing) to drum up new members.
There’s plenty of scope for humor, with no fitness or diet gag left unexplored. Gwen “can’t wait to start hurting myself on purpose” in the gym. JoAnne’s ass is so big, she needs a larger saddle for her exercise bike. Claudia’s regime consists of pouring herself drinks, and Bonnie has a different kind of cupcake to take her mind off any problem.
The ensemble aren’t afraid to make fun of their own figures — their boobs, their butts, their legs, and their love lives. This seam of self-effacing humor really helps to make the whole play work. It’s also obvious how much fun the leads have with their characters — Leslie Bogstad bounces around the stage in a pink outfit, portraying an effervescent airhead; JoAnne’s two big criteria for a man are that he’s over five feet and under 80. Claudia usually has a cigarette in her hand. Gwen is a grumpy gym-phobe.
The production is elevated by some strong supporting cast members. Brian Bogstad brightens up the show whenever he appears, with more sparkling energy than a sugar-free Red Bull. Local theater mainstay and assistant director Brandon Joyner revels in his role as a nervous, gibbering youth, and Will Lindsay belies his lack of experience by being game for anything as Rolly Poly Roland.
Power seems the least comfortable on stage. She just isn’t as relaxed and believable as Wine, Cameron, or the Bogstads. In the opening number she’s hard to hear and she’s slow to respond to some of her cues. Later she warms up and handles her solos admirably. Doug Callahan’s performance is more exaggerated than anyone else’s, as if he’s in a different, broader comedy.
A moment when one character is left alone with no love in her life could be milked for more emotion. The Hispanic, Chinese, and gay stereotypes are a little too obvious. But Power and Wine have achieved a feat merely by getting this ambitious show running. Its memorable writing and acting, costumes (by Naomi Doddington), and music are added bonuses. Its themes of love and friendship make Health Nuts perfect for the Valentine’s period. As long as audiences don’t expect a Charleston Stage-sized production and make allowances for the less experienced performers, they’ll leave with their tails wagging.
Newcomers Tail Wagger Productions dissect the female gym rat
by Nick Smith February 10, 2010
When we received a cryptic press release about a musical by first-time writers that would be produced by a new, unnamed theater company, we were skeptical.
The PR told us the musical company had been created by a “mom and daughter… taking charge of life and chasing a dream that will ultimately bring prime entertainment, enjoyment, and lots of laughs to people of Charleston.” There was no mention of the show’s venue or any other details. Although this sounded like a lot of noise with no action to back it up, we doggedly followed up the lead and found Tail Wagger Productions.
Chris Power and Lindsay Wine, the brains behind Tail Wagger, are the mother and daughter team who wrote, produced, and starred in the musical. They called it Health Nuts. We weren’t sure what to make of that, but the ladies had our attention. And by the time they’d filled us in on the plot and their goals, the project sounded a lot healthier — and less nutty — than we’d originally feared.
Wine should know how to get people’s attention. She’s the communications specialist for Water Missions International, an organization that brings clean water to countries in need across the globe. While Tail Wagger is not affiliated with Water Missions, she brings the same work ethic, enthusiasm, and strong faith to her new venture that she applies to her doughty day job.
Wine is joined by her mom Chris Power, a local educator who currently works in Hollywood, S.C. Wine and Power are like two peas in a pod. They have the same taste, laugh at the same jokes, and drive the same kind of car. One day when they were getting a pedicure together, they started talking about a musical. This evolved over many meetings, discussions, and glasses of wine into Health Nuts, a comedy set in a gym that’s a hang-out for women of different ages. When the gym faces closure, the women come up with several schemes to keep it open. But the real source of the humor comes from the characters, not the situation.
“Joanne is an older divorcee,” says Wine. “She’s been running the race of the dating scene, but she’s never able to find the right man — there’s always something wrong with him. She’s loosely based on my mom, who plays her.”
Wine also has a part in the show. “Gwen is best described as a Janeane Garofalo type, dark and cynical,” Power says. Joanne and Gwen trade quips with Claudia, who marries for money and has had so many husbands that she doesn’t call them by name any more (she’s currently hitched to a man she refers to as Five). Bonnie doesn’t have any quips; she’s dumb as a brick, confuses her clichés, and has a high time keeping track of all her men. Instead of a little black book she has a “big ass black binder.”
“Some of the characters are based on friends and family and people we’ve known,” says Wine. “We’ve used our relationships and experiences.” In case you haven’t guessed already, the production is geared toward women. “With this show perhaps we’re capturing a niche, focusing on women,” Wine says. “But that’s not necessarily something we’re carrying over to other shows.”
“They’re dealing with issues that are important to women,” says director Michelle Lakey, “not just relationships but being healthy, staying in shape, that kind of thing.”
Lakey was assistant director of the Flowertown Players’ Into the Woods, in which Wine played the baker’s wife. Even though Tail Wagger is an untried company with an untested play, she believes that “they absolutely have a chance of success.” That’s mainly because of Wine’s go-getting attitude. “She’s a marketing genius, passionate about everything she does. She throws everything into it.”
With luck, this exuberance and the stars’ popularity in the local community will pay off when they get on stage. Power and Wine certainly think so; they’re already planning their next production, a family-friendly variety show called Magic Jukebox.
THEATRE Love and Curses
by Nick Smith January 24, 2007
Romance
Jan. 25-27, 2007
Footlight Players Theatre
20 Queen St., Charleston, SC
www.footlightplayers.net
When the Footlight Players tested a “curtain warmer” comedy on the audience of Arsenic & Old Lace late last year, the response was mixed. Folks expecting a venerable farce also got a new, hip, high-speed quickie called i am drinking the goddamn sun by New York playwright Brian P.J. Cronin; reactions ranged from gentle amusement to total bemusement.
In contrast, there’s no room for reasonable doubt about the intended audience of Romance, the first official entry in the Players’ “Salt & Battery” offshoot series. A late-night performance time, discounted ticket prices, the film farce-style pre-show music, and the choice of writer (David Mamet in ultra-playful form) all cry out for a full house of broad-minded punters. When a show is this funny, the place deserves to be filled to the gills with laughter.
Romance points up the absurdities of the legal system with a series of sharply focused confrontations and character-driven gags. Its doped-up driving force is a judge who’s suffering from hay fever, popping antihistamine tablets like they’re M&Ms. The more he takes, the more he loses track — and control — of proceedings.
It’s never clear whether the judge’s addled state is a good or bad thing for the defendant, a dissembling chiropractor. In fact, the whole trial isn’t all that important. It’s just an excuse for Mamet to place his abrasive characters in a high-pressure situation and set the sparks flying.
In the court of King Mamet, the judge can pass any sentence he fancies, the lawyers present more f-bombs than affidavits, the bailiff calls his own adjournments and confesses to screwing a goose, the Jewish defendant vows to bring peace to the Middle East but is barely aided by his Christian lawyer, and the prosecutor is nagged by his barely dressed boyfriend Bernard, who is nicknamed “Buns.” By the end of Scene Three, the audience will know those buns all too well.
Karl Bunch handles the lead role of the dotty presiding judge well. The actor’s sense of pace and comic timing have been honed over 41 Footlight shows, and he needs them to keep Romance aloft. As the different pills take their effect, he switches from happy, peace-loving evangelism to self-doubting inquisitor in the space of minutes. He’s a joy to watch, with or without his clothes on, although his wife will surely be washing his mouth out with soap after every performance.
In a 2003 stage adaptation of Breaker Morant, Chris Sheets played a kick-ass prosecutor who successfully had half the show’s characters shot, jailed, or thrown out of court. Here he shows a gentler side, playing a slightly more reasonable prosecutor who is the most sincerely romantic guy in the whole play. His boyfriend Bernard may complain that he’s neglected, but the couple share a couple of brief moments of genuine affection. Ryan Rensberry is totally committed to the camp character of Bernard, and Kyle Mims displays all the sense of urgency and impact that was lacking in his direction of last year’s Rebecca. David Barr and Mike Ferrer, fresh from Footlight’s I’m Gonna Kill the President, add memorably knowing touches to their simpler roles as the defendant and a doctor. Bob Sharbaugh also provides some very funny reactions as Jimmy, the soft-spoken bailiff.
Director Don Brandenburg keeps the play moving rapidly, and only one scene — a racist slanging match between the defendant and his attorney — suffers from uninspired blocking. There’s little time for the audience to take a breath and question the lack of narrative or deep character development. Brandenburg recognizes that Mamet is celebrating traditional farce, no frills attached.
At 10 bucks a throw, this show is a bargain for anyone not offended by invective, gay or racist stereotypes, or the notion that “Shakespeare must have been a Jewish fag, because no Christian could write that good.” It’s a bold and effective way to launch “Salt & Battery,” which returns in April with CofC theatre major Michael Smallwood’s Talk.
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