New playwright David Kucher offers a fresh perspective to the timeless story of lying and its devastating consequences with “Sequel,” a play that premiered at Your Theatre in New Bedford on April 8. While the story Kucher has penned may need some tweaking before it can be considered for a sequel, the solid acting on display may just make this show worthy of a second helping.
The contemporary play, Kucher’s first to make it to the stage, centers around Joe Lyman (Eric Paradis), a cunning and desperate Los Angeles screenplay writer who garners the help of his successful investigative journalist girlfriend, Harlequin “Harry” Anderson (Caroline Cuccia); the duo writes the sequel to “Palegas,” one of the highest-grossing Bulgarian films of all time. The only problem is that there is no high-grossing Bulgarian film titled “Palegas.”
Nevertheless, Joe is able to con the homosexual Hollywood producing couple of Kyle Bix (Eddie Camara) and Thom Thompson (Gil Cardona-Erazo) into backing the project. This begins both a comedic and dramatic sequence of events where the theme of lying rears its ugly head on the very small cast of only the four aforementioned characters.
As previously stated, this is Kucher’s first play to make it to a stage, and it shows. The second act of the two act play seems a little rushed in comparison with the first act. The unraveling of the characters’ lives in the second half happens too quickly, considering that it takes longer for the story to develop in the first act. Despite a serious and somber second act, one must sit through plenty of Hollywood-themed farce throughout (including multiple references to a reality TV show called “Cooking with Porn”), and also a cliché ending. The bare set (one room with wooden chairs and tables) is a given, considering Your Theatre’s frugal budget.
But Kucher’s story does deliver some strong points. He offers a stunning amount of parallel in the romantic/professional relationships of Joe and Harry and Kyle and Thom, both of which are significantly affected by the play’s theme of lying. There’s also a suitable amount of foreshadowing (mainly through Harry) in the first act- a good balance between subtle and obvious.
Director Edward J. Maguire has a positive impact on the show’s performance. Nearly all of the movements in the scenes are very natural, with minimal distractions. But the strongest element of the play comes from the quartet of actors. The star, Paradis, gives the most genuine performance as Joe. His witty insincerity towards Harry in some scenes and manipulations in others will have audience members thinking Jerry Seinfeld has made a seamless transition from television to the stage. Not to be outdone, Camara is hilarious as Kyle; he gracefully walks a fine line between flamboyant and obnoxious with his occasional gyrations and gestures, doing an excellent portrayal of a homosexual and egotistical Hollywood movie producer.
Cuccia and Cardona-Erazo provide a much-needed balance with their characters, both of whom are emotionally held hostage by the lies from their respective partners. However, Cuccia is more enthusiastic in showing this emotional distress than is Cardona-Erazo. Kucher adds a pleasant element as Cuccia and Cardona-Erazo’s characters form a nostalgic father-daughter relationship as the play progresses. One can really appreciate the affection and empathy they show each other in the second act.
It’s only natural that these two become close; after all, they’re the characters closest to honesty and reality when compared to Joe and Kyle. “Sequel” is now playing through April 18. Each show starts at 8pm, except the April 18th performance (3pm). Tickets are $14, $15 on Saturdays.
No comments:
Post a Comment