Red Bastard

Sacred Fools Spotlight Presents the Adult Only Show

Review by Andrew Moore

Photo via redbastard.com

There's a nagging little imp inside our minds that is telling us we could do more, accomplish more, be more. We try to shut him up with pills or alcohol or simply being "too busy," but he's there, waiting for an opportunity to rub our pathetic little failures in our face and say, "SEE? YOU WOULDN'T BE STUCK IN A DEAD-END LIFE IF YOU HAD JUST LISTENED TO ME IN THE FIRST PLACE!"

There's a reason why we keep him shut up in a mental broom closet, why we strive to keep his voice out of our heads. It's uncomfortable to be laughed at -- it's worse when it's us doing the laughing.

Red Bastard is that imp. His wild gymnastics and existential challenges are uncomfortable, but sorely needed.

This isn't entertainment; it's an experience. Eric Davis is entertaining -- please don't misunderstand. He is entrancing and vivacious as the eponymous bulbous buffoon. What I mean to say is this is not some mere show that you just go to see.

Brecht said, "Art is not a mirror to hold up to society, but a hammer with which to shape it." Red Bastard is the mirror and the hammer, and he empowers his audience to join him. He can't force his audience out of their comfort zone; they have to be willing to go on the journey with him. You do not have to be willing to trust him, per se, at least no more than you would trust yourself, but willing to play along. Willing to dance with the devil, as it were.

Does he succeed? It depends upon the audience, I suppose. He certainly gave me pause, and I've been rolling around the Red Bastard experience in my mind since last night's performance. Davis makes a valiant effort at being an agent provocateur and change agent, yet in spite of his monstrous posturing and the maniacal control he exercises over the audience, there is a very human vulnerability just under the surface of the monster. This spark of vulnerability lends a certain ineffable charm to Red Bastard, and provides a sense of safety no matter how risky the dance becomes. His performance hinges on an audience willing to play, and it is a courageous risk on his own part.

Go be a part of Red Bastard; be willing to play. Take the clown at face value and he will return the favor.

Red Bastard is seducing audiences Mondays at 8pm, but THERE ARE ONLY TWO PERFORMANCES LEFT! April 29th and May 13th, at Sacred Fools, 660 N. Heliotrope Dr., in Los Angeles; just south of Melrose and a couple of blocks west of Vermont Ave. Street parking is ample, but get there a little early. Tickets are $20 and available at www.sacredfools.org/onlineboxoffice/.

(Side note: Scoops, a groovy little gelato joint just north of Melrose on Heliotrope is open until 10:00 pm. After the show, take a little walk and try their salted caramel or jasmine pistachio. It's a tasty, decadent treat that pairs well with nursing your inner imp.)

Altarcations

a new play written and directed by STEVE JULIAN

presented at Actors Circle Theatre

a Hollywood Fringe Production

review by Phillip Kelly

The Catholic scandal over the past couple years has been one of the things that's really raised my ire. To take advantage of an innocent, when you're supposed to stand for something pure, and then to cover up something that detestable when you're supposed to protect the people who come to worship the same God you believe in...I become angry. Thinking about it as I write, that rage returns.

Altarcations, the new play by Steve Julian, does something unexpected. While it demonizes the acts themselves, it humanizes the people that commit them. Sometimes turning them into even greater monsters, but these characters are 3 dimensional people, not simply cyphers to make a point. They regret and feel guilt over the things they've done. This makes it that much more of a complex and intriguing show to watch.

Robert Keasler plays Father Bart who is a father figure to a young man, Tommy played by Drew Hellenthal, who wishes to become a man of the cloth. Tommy is staying with a woman, Rachel (Dylan Jones). In the midst of this Bishop Michael, Travis Michael Holder, comes to the Church in order to weed out the potentially bad seeds and train the heads of the Churches how to deal with and curb the unholy desires within themselves.

Much is alluded to before it's shown, and the curtain is ever so slowly parted, allowing us to uncover the secrets between each of the characters and the scars they carry. The discomfort is palpable and the end is chilling in ways I don't want to begin to ruin. Along the way, we're treated to some delectable performances and writing. Travis Michael Holder's drunken, sexual repartee leaves you feeling unclean and in awe at the same time. The three confession scenes between Dylan and the three characters are clever and so wonderfully performed by everyone in the cast. The psychological deconstruction is handled with confidence and balance by Julian and his performers.

Like most things in Fringe, at least the things I've seen and can imagine, it takes advantage of video projection to smartly allude to the wheres, but also during the show, as scene transitions occur, we are shown a video recording of an unnamed woman, articulately dismantling the Church and the cover up. It manages to keep the proceedings grounded in reality. The problem being, the video doesn't resolve itself, and simply disappears from the production as we near the end of the story. The score by Jen Schwartz and sound design by Jeff Gardner help create the well rounded world.

At times the acting and writing becomes a little melodramatic, but it's forgivable as these characters are dealing with with the fights of their lives.

If you get a chance while it's still at Fringe, check it out. Look for it to have a healthy life beyond.

Altarcations by Steve Julian
June 8 - 24, Fri. at 5pm, Sun at 4pm
Actors Circle Theatre, 7313 Santa Monica Blvd, West Hollywood 90046
hollywoodfringe.org/projects/920
or follow the Playwright for updates on the production at stevejulian.com