SEARCHING FOR SEX AND SENSATIONALISM

THE PLAY ABOUT THE NAKED GUY
By David Bell
Stray Cat Theatre
Tempe Performing Arts Center
Directed by Damon Dering
February 12 – 27
480-820-8022

     There is a great deal of talent on stage at Stray Cat Theatre during its current production of THE PLAY ABOUT THE NAKED GUY! It is a shame that the acoustics in this theater are not any better because it was quite difficult to hear the actors some of the time, but this did not stop the enjoyment of the sell out audience on Opening night. They clearly reveled in the overt gay sex and Rabelasian aura of Damon Dering’s up front direction of this striking script.

     And a good script it is too, with many thought provoking themes concerning the ever constant battle between what is good art and what is commercialism masquerading as art. An off Broadway theater company run by married couple  Dan (played by Louis Farber) and Amanda (played by Emily Rubin) but owned lock, stock and barrel by Amanda’s domineering mother (very well played by Johanna Carlisle) is trying to eke out a living by producing little known classics. Troupe member Harold (surprisingly well done by Matthew R. Harris) is torn between his art and his need to express his innate homosexuality as he turns to new friends Eddie (well delineated by Doug Loynd), and Kit Swagger , and a successful porn star (excellently portrayed by Marc Rambeau). He brings them in to the fold to rescue the Integrity Players along with the blatantly gay T. Scott (Samuel Wilkes) and Edonis (marvelously played by Michael Thompson). These two provide most of the sex and sensationalism in the show and are indeed expert at what they are asked to do. Aye but there’s the rub!

     What they are asked to do steals the limelight from almost every other element of the play and in so doing, in my opinion, diminishes its efficacy. Most of the time the audience is led to simply watch the antics of these two exhibitionists, and, thus, most of the message of the provocative script gets lost. The role of Amanda, for example becomes nothing but a foil for the sensationalism instead of a pivotal point of the age old question before them and us. Do we subjugate the beauty and importance of an artist’s idea to just making money from a show or a painting? It brings to my mind the case of Robert Maplethorpe who a few years ago caused such a stir with his art because of its format that the masterfulness of his talent was swept aside like a piece of unimportant detritus. It is important to note that Amanda is pregnant, that ever shining example of a new start and new hope. Indeed, by the end of the show, Dan (who is violently opposed to just making money from crass performance unlike Amanda who for awhile gets taken in) has a new lease on life and is ready to begin again. Even the mother (who is willing to sell her soul in a mega finale which reeks of sensationalism masked in religion as a rather sacrilegious rendering of the Passion of the Christ  occurs – the performance is now called Jesus Christ He’s Hot) has found her place in the scheme of things. And I must say, to give credit where due, that the technical production of this finale is terrific. Technical Director Rick Bush along with Scenic Designer David Castellano and Lighting Designer David Empey have clearly outdone themselves.

     Be all that as it may, there is still something lacking in this production and that is integrity to the author’s script. By placing so much emphasis on the physical expressions of gay sex and mining every scene for sensationalism, Dering has overlooked the inner meaning of this play too much. In only one sequence did it come through beautifully and that is the scene where Harris, the innate actor, works with Rambeau, the porn star to teach him how to reach down to his memory and find his ability to truly emote. That is how you separate junk from acting. This resulted for me in the one comic line of the show that I could really enjoy. Rambeau (as Kid Swagger) tells of the time he went to see his dying grandmother who had played Peter Pan (acting did run in his family after all) and she sat among her cigars and alcoholic drinks and told him to follow his star. Then  actor Harold confides that there was really only one actress who could ever play Peter Pan as it should be played and that was Mary Martin. Swagger innocently turns to Harold and says, “Oh did you know Grandma?”   

     From the death of Integrity (a telling theme) comes the beginning of a good business, but as Dan and Amanda discover, this is not the real meaning of life. Unfortunately for the audience, the real meaning of life at Stray Cat was watching two young males pose, lick, kiss, strut around in their half naked undress (actually I did not even see full frontal nudity for more than half a second) and throw out innuendo after innuendo. I guess for some this is an evening well spent. For myself, I prefer thought provoking ideas presented by intelligent actors. The opportunity was there in THE PLAY ABOUT THE NAKED GUY but it somehow got lost in the shuffle of sensational sex which seemed to be what the director and the audience enjoyed most. If you agree with this viewpoint, by all means go to see the show before Feb 27; it is acting- wise and technically well done but it is just not my cup of tea.