As the World Turns.. The pendulum swings and art reflects the lives we have come to..
so far.
Factor in the rise of fascism with angry rednecks poised to overthrow the United States Government; the social media and meme mentality dictating fake or unfortunate aphorisms and the reflection is a bit grim.. That said, obviously our 21st Century culture is changing. Are we in for.. (Bette Davis's voice?) "A Bumpy Night"..
Standees as large as life of classic movie monsters greet the audience as we enter the Matrix. Opening night for "Monsters of the American Cinema."
We now meet the cultuere where the term 'his husband..' is a thing. And, in this case.. the African American widower becomes the father of his husband's sixteen year old straight white son.
Playwright Christian St. Croix, sets the scene in Santee, California.. down San Diego way. The population is mostly white.. with 'red' a shade of politics. One story of extreme bias in the neighborhood seems passed over, but the issue of white folks and black folks still has an undertone in the plot.
This two hander has a lot to say for itself and the actors a lot to say, as well. The idea of a gay black man in his thirties raising a sixteen year old caucasian son brings up issues. Drugs? Yes.. Brian, the now deceased father, had a problem that killed him.. Monsters, the theme of the play, factor in because the kid has been scared to death of monsters, but the love of monster movies more or less mitigates the issue..as it evolves with Pup (Logan Leonardo Arditty) and Remy (Kevin Daniels) bantering with movie title challenges. Movie quotes for afficianados may sound familiar.
Opening night adrenaline is pumped up as co- artistic director Guillermo Fuentes's curtain speech, relates the history of The Matrix Theatre and energizes the audience for what's to come.
RMT Director John Perrin Flynn is an innovative artist and his staging of this piece is testament to this. Because the stage and house at The Matrix are both very, very wide scenic designer Stephanie Kerley Schwartz has placed the outdoor deck far off stage left and Pup's bedroom extreme right, which, because of, I imagine, the playwright's intention to spend a lot of time on direct to the audience exposition with lengthy individual monologues from both Remy and Pup. Flynn has set them physically at extreme opposite sides of the 'motor home' set. Remy runs the Good Time Drive In Theater. He and Pup live in the trailer behind the big screen. Mostly exeellent video projections by Michelle Hanzelova-Bierbauer, punctuate the story with clips from classic monster movies. My proplem here is that the audience is watching a tennis match to see the clips as well as dealing with the split focuse as each of our heroes.
I had a hard time with the largest projection on the center of the set that made me swivel right and left to compare the somewhat garbled center projections with the crystal clear images on streens Right and Left.
I mention opening night adrenaline because for most of this full length play, each actor seemed to be ramped up to full speed from the get go. Moments that might have called for more deliberate recitation rolled apace until we find ourselves toward the climax of the production, when the intentions of both characters and each personally resolve their issues in an a beautiully staged way..
Moments of surprise that have Pup explode and Remy deilng with it find a pace that shows off th excellent physicality for the wirey kid and the adopted father who literally has the girth to block out the sun.
Excellent tech: sound by Chris Moscatiello and lights by Ric Zimmerman make this a completely professional presentation. Another important addition to our local theatre scene.
Creative Team:
Stephanie Kerley Schwartz (Scenic Design), Ric Zimmerman (Lighting Design), Chris Moscatiello (Sound Design), Christine Cover Ferro (Costume Design), Michelle Hanzelova-Bierbauer (Projection Design), Keith Stevenson (Videographer), Athena Saxton (Properties Coordinator/ASM), Ryan Wilson (Technical Director), Victoria Hoffman (Casting Director), Rachel Manheimer (Production Stage Manager).
Monsters of the American Cinema
DESCRIPTION: When his husband dies, Remy Washington, a Black man, finds himself to be the owner of a drive-in movie theater and a caregiver to his late husband’s straight, white teenage son, Pup. United by their love of classic American monster movies, the two have developed a warm and caring familial chemistry – but their relationship fractures when Remy discovers that Pup and his friends have been bullying a gay teen at his school. Told through dueting monologue and playful dialogue, this haunting and humorous tale is about fathers and sons, ghosts and monsters, discovery and resilience while being transported to worlds beyond through the American cinema.
ROGUE MACHINE (in the Matrix Theatre)
For reservations
855-585-5185 or https://www.roguemachinetheatre.org/
Previews $25
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