Red Scare on Sunset
by Charles Busch
Directed by Gary F. Bell
Stray Dog Theatre
February 8, 2018
Shannon Nara, Stephen Peirick, Will Bonfiglio
Photo by John Lamb
Stray Dog Theatre
Stray Dog Theatre’s latest production is the second play I’ve seen by local theatre company a period of two months that has dealt with the “Red Scare” in the entertainment industry in the 1950s, but the two plays couldn’t be more different. While New Jewish Theatre’s A Jewish Joke was a one-man show that took on the topic seriously, SDT’s Red Scare On Sunset is a deliberately over-the-top campfest with an enthusiastic cast of eight performers portraying a variety of roles. It’s a completely different approach to this much-portrayed subject, and it brings some sharp satire along with its laughs, although the message can be somewhat confusing at times.
The story takes us to the world of television, radio, and film in vibrant Los Angeles in the 1950s. Wholesome “All-American” movie star Mary Dale (Will Bonfiglio) is married to struggling actor Frank Taggart (Stephen Peirick), who has ambitions for more “serious” acting roles. The Red Scare is at its height, and Mary’s BFF, the brash comic radio host Pat Pilford (Shannon Nara) fires an actor on her show because of his alleged Communist ties. Frank is seduced by the charms of rival film actress Marta Towers (Ariel Roukaerts), whose invitations to a famous acting coach’s Method acting class lures him into the clutches of “the Party”, and soon the far-reaching effects of the conspiracy are revealed, with some surprising and not-so-surprising twists along the way. It’s a broad, satrical look at politics, conspiracy theories, censorship, the acting business and acting techniques, and more, with extremely broad characterizations and deliberately over-the-top, hammy acting. There are many memorable moments, and the message can be surprisingly caustic amid all the humor, when it becomes unclear who the “good guys” and “bad guys” are. I’m assuming that confusion is mostly deliberate, although the message comes across as somewhat muddled, and it’s not always clear what this show is trying to say, since the “how” seems to become more important than the “what”.
The cast is strong, for the most part, led by the deliciously campy performance of Bonfiglio, who makes the most of his role as the “heroic” Mary. Bonfiglio’s performance is matched by that of Nara as the crass, determined Vaudeville veteran Pat. Peirick as Frank and Roukaerts as Marta also seem to be having a lot of fun in their exaggerated roles, as does Stephen Henley is multiple roles. The ensemble of Gerry Love, Michael Baird and Chris Ceradsky lend their support in a variety of broadly comic roles as well.
The technical aspects of this production add a lot to the overall atmosphere of the play. Rob Lippert’s fairly simple set backed by a large movie screen provides an excellent setting for the action. and Amy Hopkins’s colorful, occasionally outrageous costumes contribute to the comedy well. There’s also strong work from lighting designer Tyler Duenow. The staging is fast-paced, with heightened sense of “seriousness” that contributes a lot of the comic effect.
Overall, Red Scare On Sunset is a fun production. If it’s not always entirely clear in what it’s trying to say, it’s still says it in a stylish way. The overall effect is one of style over substance, but with some extremely strong comic performances and a good deal of energy and attitude. There are a lot of laughs to be had here.
Ariel Roukaerts, Gerry Love, Stephen Peirick, Chris Ceradsky
Photo by John Lamb
Stray Dog Theatre
Stray Dog Theatre is presenting Red Scare On Sunset at Tower Grove Abbey until February 24, 2018.
Leave a Reply