"SleepOver" at The New York International Fringe Festival
“SleepOver” By Max W. Friedlich Directed by Dann Fink Reviewed by David Roberts and Joseph Verlezza Theatre Reviews Limited
[A Gay POV Review. This review is anchored in the belief that the gay community and the straight community speak two entirely different languages and participate in two radically different cultures. When gay men interact with straight men and women we “code-switch:” we adjust all of our rhetorical skills to a different set of vectors and we behave in ways that are expected of us, in ways we have traditionally learned from that heteronormative culture that is not our own. This is the belief of this critic who is a gay male making his way through the same world we are all navigating. It is not assumed this belief is shared by the writer of “SleepOver.” This belief is not meant to offend anyone or hurt anyone in either community.]
There is much to admire in Max W. Friedlich’s “SleepOver,” currently running at The Cherry Lane Theatre Main Stage as part of the New York International Fringe Festival. As theatre professionals, we support young playwrights and their energetic efforts to sustain the magic of the theatre through writing. And there is no doubt that Mr. Friedlich will have a future in theatre. This certainty comes from the young playwright’s ability to develop characters with interesting conflicts that drive a delicious plot. “SleepOver” is particularly interesting because Friedlich risks treading into absurdist realms reminiscent of Harold Pinter’s “The Caretaker.”
Theo Metayer enters Matt Brixton’s angst-ridden sophomore year in high school through Brixton’s front door and does not leave despite Matt’s protestations to his mother and to Theo. Matt’s obsession with his girlfriend Grace and his depression after their break-up is complicated by Theo’s inexplicable presence and his insistence that he is a bona fide helpmate in Matt’s times of trouble. The plot increases in absurdity as Matt’s mother Jasmine ignores Theo’s verbal and physical abuse of her son and eventually sleeps with the teenage intruder to accomplish surcease of her alcohol-enhanced loneliness. All of this plays well with the help of the cast. Brandon Reilly’s Matt Brixton finds a doppelganger in Jared Kemp’s Theo Metayer. Brandy Zarle’s Jasmine Croft (not Mrs. Brixton she quickly reminds Theo) is as clueless a mother as one could hope for when planning a party in the basement. Marcus Maurice appears in the final few moments as Theo’s father George to offer some explanation for Theo’s visit.
However, our interest in the play or its characters or their conflicts was marred by Max W. Friedlich’s incessant and offensive heteronormative and homophobic language. Here are just a few of the pejorative words and terms that too fluidly flowed from character’s mouths: “uber-gay,” love is super gay,” “sucking your own dick,” “gayness,” and far more inappropriate uses of “gay” than we could even count.
One of us taught in urban high schools and is fully aware that students talk the way Friedlich suggests. However, none of my students were permitted to use homophobic language in my classroom. Such language is abusive, bullying, and very dangerous. We hoped as Mr. Friedlich’s friends, family, and admirers stood to offer thunderous applause, there were not sitting in the audience gay young men -- perhaps struggling with their status -- listening to the abusive language coming from the stage.
Unfortunately, the potential power of this new script by a promising playwright was lessened by the author’s diction. We sincerely hope Mr. Friedlich will sincerely consider the damaging power words can have and, perhaps, even revise his script for future performances.
SLEEPOVER
Presented by SleepOver Productions (Donald Friedlich, Michael Fister, and Judy Mitchell) and The New York International Fringe Festival. Written by Max W. Friedlich. Directed by Dann Fink. Set Design by Stephen Dobay. Costume Design by Kathleen Doyle. Lighting Design by Ryan Metzler. Sound Design by John Emmet O’Brien. Stage Management by Katherine K. White.
WITH: Jared Kemp, Marcus Maurice, Brandon Reilly, and Brandy Zarle.
All performances take place at The Cherry Lane Theatre (Main Stage), 38 Commerce Street (7th Avenue and Hudson Street) in New York, NY. Tickets are available at www.fringenyc.org or 866-468-7619. $15 in advance, $18 at the door. Senior and Fringe Junior tickets available at the door for $10. Running time: 93 minutes with no intermission. For further information, visit www.sleepoverproductions.com
Remaining Show Date: Saturday, August 25th @ 5:30 pm
Permalink | Posted by David Roberts on Thursday, August 23, 2012
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