Review: ELECTRICITY - Power Source Interrupted

ELECTRICITY/by Terry Ray/directed by Steven Rosenbaum/Two Roads Theatre/thru May 22, 2016

The world premiere of playwright Terry Ray's ELECTRICITY's perfect for those rarefied romantics out there who still believe true love can be found, whatever the obstacles. In ELECTRICITY, the main obstacle to overcome involves the non-communication of the two parties involved for ten years at a time. Another interesting wrinkle at the core of ELECTRICITY; the object of the main character Gary's affection/attraction happens to be Brad, the boy who bullied him in high school (who turns out to be gay himself). With a three-decade time span, audiences must check their need for plausibility at the theatre front door in order to accept two actors aging thirty years within the 90-minute performance. A very short list of actors, if any, can convincingly play an age range of mid-20's to mid-50's without the help of make-up or period distinguishing costumes. A toupee/wig and a headband for the supposedly twenty-something year-olds does not really succeed.

Central conceit of ELECTRICITY has two former high schoolmates meet up in the very same motel room for the class' 10-year reunion; then their 20th, 30th and 40-yr reunion. The only attempts to delineate change in time periods were the changing of generic patterned bedspreads and the switching out of suitcases. Maybe if the time lapses were years instead of decades...

ELECTRICITY needs firmer hands than Steven Rosenbaum's capable ones in directing the two different styles of acting from his two performers. Playwright Ray's more naturalistic approach as Gary does not always mesh with Kevin Scott Allen's more hyper portrayal of the commitment-phobe and total asshole Brad. With no chemistry between them, the more genuine Gary comes off more pathetic than sympathetic in his non-pursuit of Brad and in his putting up with the nine-year, eleven months and how many days of no communication from Brad from reunion to reunion.

Attempts at establishing an Odd Couple relationship with Gary as the finicky Felix and Brad as the messy Oscar do have its pay-off when; for emphasis, Gary kicks his pants across the room instead of neatly folding them up. Some of the playwright's clever lines do pop out periodically. Like Gary's admission of this first-ever visit to a bathhouse. He was more worried catching toe fungus than STDs. And then there's the classic television origin of Gary's made-up wife's name - Ginger.

The question posed at the 40th reunion - do we, the audience, want Gary and Brad to be together? Or do we, the audience, want Gary to finally grow some balls to tell Brad to f-off??? Hmmm???

Tom Early readily designed a functional, low-end motel room with a lit bathroom partially visible from the half-open bathroom door. Not surprisingly, no credits for costumer or make-up were listed in the program for this TMD Productions' efforts.

www.electricitytheplay.com

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