A Devilish Ride

We all know Shel Silverstein from the classic children books such The Giving Tree and Where the Sidewalk Ends, but Algonquin Theater Productions sheds a new light on the wholesome and moral-teaching author we have all grown to love.  

The Devil and Billy Markham, now playing at the D-Lounge located just below the Daryl Roth Theatre in Union Square, gives audiences entrée into a darker and crudely funny side of Silverstein.  His story of The Devil and Billy Markham originally appeared as a six part epic poem in the January 1979 edition of Playboy Magazine and subsequently as a one act play at Lincoln Center in 1989.  It's the classic story of man versus evil where a tough lead character is willing to bet his soul to the Devil for the instant gratification of winning that he just can't deny.

Enter Brit Herring, an accomplished stage, film and voice actor who anchors this one man show.  In entertaining and "tough guy" fashion, he delivers the entire sixty minute poem as Billy Markham while also melding into other roles to provide audiences with fluidity of dialogue. Herring's entrance is a la Elvis Presley as he first has his back to the audience while he shakes his hips to the "bluesy" beat of The Broken Pockets Band (Sean Singer, Seth Foster and Trey Albright).  When he dramatically turns around to face the audience, his hair features a Danny Zuko-like "pompadour" and a red cowboy shirt tucked into a classic pair of denims.  Herring starts out as the storyteller to set the plot and it isn't until this character introduces audiences to Billy Markham that they are met with a complete change in character.  Billy Markham is a man's man of sorts, one who was never given a challenge he could refuse.  His voice is decisively different from that of the storyteller's as Herring defines Billy Markham with a signature head tilt and propensity towards animatedly chewing gum.  Herring continues to differentiate character after character through his rollercoaster voice and elastic-like face.  The result is that no character within the story looks or sounds alike - further confirming that Herring, assuming improvisational genius, is some who should have appeared on Whose Line Is It Anyway?

Through the masks of several different roles, Herring takes audiences through a tale of Billy Markham and the Devil continually trying to out-wit one another.  Billy Markham succumbs to the challenge of rolling 13 with a pair of dice, but afterwards in Hell, makes it his goal to go double or nothing and get out.  The Devil and Billy Markham is almost like a new spin on Dante's Inferno and is definitely a new side of Shel Silverstein most people are unaccustomed to seeing.  The play clearly discusses sex and is surprisingly hysterical with its crude adult humor.  A natural accompaniment to the crude adult humor is a sprinkle of foul language, something audiences never heard the "giving tree" say.  Yet somehow, this day and night side of Shel Silverstein works and gives additional credence to his writing skill by showcasing how he mastered both adult material unintended to teach a lesson as well as good wholesome stories aimed for children. 

Within the play, the Devil and Billy Markham continue to out-do one another in rhyme.  The story is intricate and is an impressive script for Herring to master.  However, Herring owns the script at a superior level, making it difficult to see anyone else in the role.  His variations of tone, facial expression and stature make the production thoroughly enjoyable to watch and easy to laugh with.  The Broken Pockets Band also adds an audio component to the performance by highlighting phrases or situations with a perfectly timed cymbal crash or an appropriate "wa wa wa" sound on the guitar.  The band and Herring also take advantage of aptly titled songs to enhance the humor.  Renditions of both Stairway to Heaven and Knockin' on Heaven's Door add to laughs to the scene about a bet Billy Markham accepts to win God's role in Heaven.  These various elements mixed together with a continually twisting and ironic plot provides laughs and appreciation from start to finish.  It's a play that allows you to enjoy the production for what it is.  It's not overloaded with underlying meanings or complicated characters; it is rather a solid fictional story that provides an overall good time.  Go see it if you can!

The Devil and Billy Markham is playing at the D-Lounge at the Daryl Roth Theatre in Union Square.  Performances run Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm now through April 14th.  Call 212-868-4444 or visit www.devilandbilly.com for more information.

Photo Credit: Gerry Goodstein

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