Audio By Carbonatix
BEEM! So far it’s definitely low-BEEM! But if writer-actor John S. Davies pares down his autobiographical one-man comedy, he might have something with higher wattage here. Presented in a Sunday night showcase format, the one-act switches among three characters: Davies, the actor; Bill Beem, an egotistical Kansas City chef who yearns for reality show stardom; and Joe, the gay sitcom writer Beem has hired to write his script. Confusing? Yep. But sometimes funny and often revealing. Davies needs the energy of 10 men to play these three and even with a tiny audience on opening night, he played each role as if the house were packed. “What’s my problem?” is the catchphrase that he repeats throughout. The answer for any of his characters isn’t quite clear enough yet, but Davies’ attempt to explore multiple personalities has definite possibilities. Through November 20 at Contemporary Theatre of Dallas, 5601 Sears St., 214-828-0094. (Elaine Liner)
Humpty Dumpty The characters are shallow but the acting goes deep in Eric Bogosian’s strangely accurate play about four young city slickers who break down under pressure after a blackout strands them in a mountain retreat. Written before 9/11, the play now resounds with echoes from the recent hurricane disasters, which showed how quickly civilized behavior disappears when lights and phones stop working. Second Thought Theatre assembles a strong cast, with Meridith Morton, Steven Walters, Elise Reynard and Derek Phillips as the desperate vacationers, and the always-fascinating Robert Prentiss as a mysterioso handyman named Nat, who always manages to show up just before the water and food run out. Director Matthew Gray (on loan from his own Classical Acting Company) keeps the pace at Twilight Zone intensity, although the script runs about 30 pages too long. Through November 20 at the Studio Theatre, Addison Theatre Centre, 15650 Addison Road., Addison, 972-450-6232. Reviewed this week. (E.L.)
Visiting Mr. Green A young man visits an old Jewish widower every week for six months. They talk, they eat kosher chicken soup, they sip tea. Wisdom is shared, secrets revealed. Sound like Tuesdays with Morrie? Well, kinda. Actually Jeff Baron’s play is more like a very special episode of Seinfeld (and thankfully, there never was one of those). Ross (the marvelous Ian Leson) nearly runs octagenarian Mr. Green (Jerry Russell) down on a Manhattan street. He’s sentenced to the weekly drop-ins as community service. When Mr. Green learns that Ross is gay, he just can’t understand how a nice Jewish boy could be a fegalah. And so we start the slow, careful dance toward tolerance and acceptance via situational dramedy. The script is a lightweight, but the actors give their roles real substance and dignity. Director Rene Moreno again gets the best results by reining in actors’ tendencies to do too much. The simplicity and ease with which Leson and Russell relate to each other is more moving than the play itself. Through November 27 at Contemporary Theatre of Dallas, 5601 Sears St., 214-828-0094. Reviewed this week. (E.L.)