Review: LASSO OF TRUTH Opens at the Unicorn Theatre in Kansas City

Lasso of Truth, a National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere, opened on Saturday night January 31 at the Unicorn Theatre in Kansas City, Missouri. Johnny Wolfe directs this multimedia experience, which looks at the life of William Moulton Marston, the inventor of the lie detector and creator of the comic book hero Wonder Woman. The use of video and comic book style slides add additional humor to an already amusing and sensual production. Lasso of Truth is a co-production with the University of Missouri at Kansas City Theatre.

Playwright Carson Kreitzer says of her work, Lasso of Truth, "These are fictional characters, inspired by real people. Some names have been changed for poetic reasons: to indicate distance from their points of origin, and that I am making no claim to know the truth. There's no objective truth anyway, right? But this stuff is true." Other works by Kreitzer include The Love Song of J. Robert Oppenheimer, Freakshow, Slither, and Self Defense or death of some salesmen among others.

Marston invented the lie detector and spent most of his life improving it, while trying to convince the courts to accept it as evidence. This production is not just the tale of an inventor; it delves into the private polyamorous relationship between Marston, his wife, and his former student. Having lost previous university jobs for fraternizing with students, he again walks the same path inviting his assistant, a student, to his house for a drink with him and his wife.

A frequent visitor to the realm of bondage, Marston decides that a second woman in the relationship would help the reluctant attitude of his wife. The student, who they refer to as the Amazon, becomes the model for his legendary comic book character. As the experience of the three grows so does the relationship, especially between his wife and the Amazon, to the point that after his death from cancer the two remain together as a family.

As the main plot unfolds in the 1930's the audience fast-forwards to the 1990's for a second story line that begins to unfold. It is the tale of a girl, obsessed with Wonder Woman, searching for the first comic in which the super heroappears. The girl visits a comic book store where she meets a guy who also is obsessed with the comic book hero. Knowing that the guy is the owner of the first comic book, she uses her feminine wiles to attain the elusive prize.

Martin Buchanan is superb as Marston, the inventor. His dialogue and action are natural, drawing the audience into his two worlds, his professional, and his darker side. He recently appeared at the Unicorn in Hands on a Hardbody. His Kansas City stage experience includes the Kansas City Repertory Theatre (KC Rep), Spinning Tree Theatre, Starlight, and Musical Theatre Heritage among others.

Vanessa Severo returns to the Unicorn with a fantastic performance as the Amazon. Severo takes each role she plays and makes it her own, developing the character and sharing it with the audience. She has appeared at the Unicorn in Venus in Fur, Green Whales, and Bright Ideas among others. Kansas City credits include the KC Rep, The Coterie Theatre, and Egads Theatre Company.

Carla Noack is powerful and convincing in the role of the Wife. She grows from the wife who does not like the idea of being tied up, to that of a woman not only in love with a person but with the relationship. Noack starred as the pilot in Grounded and as Sarah Goodwin in Time Stands Still at the Unicorn. She has appeared with the Heart of America Shakespeare Festival, KC Rep, and the Kansas City Actors Theatre.

Laura Jacobs and Jamie Dufault are wonderful in supporting roles in the second story line. Both make their debut at the Unicorn, but have several acting credits from the Kansas City metropolitan area including the KC Rep and the Great River Shakespeare Festival.

Lasso of Truth continues at the Unicorn through February 15. Purchase tickets by calling 816-531-7529 extension 10 or visit the Unicorn Theatre website. Photo by Cynthia Levin courtesy of the Unicorn Theatre.

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