BWW Reviews: I'LL EAT YOU LAST Warms Up Short North Stage

Entering the Short North Stage's Green Room, audiences are ushered from the cold, snowy streets of Columbus into the warm living room of a California villa.

One glance around the meticulously constructed set gives a sense of nostalgia for the perfectly manicured sitting rooms of the late 1960s/ early 1970s, aided by the décor choices seemingly taken right off of the display floor of Flower Child.

In its production of John Logan's 2013 one-person biographical play, the Short North Stage invites viewers to engage in a candid chat with Hollywood talent agent Sue Mengers. Deb Colvin-Tener is convincing and engaging as Mengers, perfectly encapsulating the dedication and loyalty the agent had for her clients and loved ones.

Exploring her childhood as a German immigrant to the United States and explaining how she made her way up the ladder in the Hollywood social scene, Mengers grants her guests an unveiled look at her personal and professional life.

The play is peppered with innuendoes indicative of the New Hollywood age of film; however, the jokes and name dropping would probably have more of an impact on viewers who posses a few more memories of those times than I do at my 19 years of age.

Nevertheless, "A Chat With Sue Mengers" is at times hilarious and at times heart touchingly sincere. Audiences come away with an understanding of what Hollywood agents do for their clients, and a taste of the business that satiates outsiders' curiosities.

"I'll Eat You Last: A Chat with Sue Mengers" is set to run at the Short North Stage's Garden Theater until March 1.

Show times and ticket information can be found at the Short North Stage website.

Photo Credit: Jerri Shafer

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