Hollow Log: The Dude Subsides

Lawrence Dial's Hollow Log tries to do for the drug thriller genre what The Big Lebowski did for Raymond Chandler- put a stoner in the lead, and let his naïve effervescence keep the plot from getting too heavy. Unfortunately, though Hollow Log has a few amusing slacker moments, the thriller plot makes little sense.

Denny (Joachim Boyle) and Annie (Erin Roberts) are best friends and odd couple roommates- he's a directionless stoner, and she owns a bar and has recently come into an inheritance from the death of her parents. She's also getting married to her boyfriend who's an actor studying in Russia, and has given Denny 2 months to move out- and 3 days before that time, he's made no plans and has no money (though he won't take any from Annie since he doesn't want to take advantage of her now that she's rich). Annie tells him a story of a Detective with a Russian accent who came to the bar in the morning and arrested one of their employees for dealing drugs, then dropped a bag of Ecstasy that looks like Smarties on the sidewalk as he was leaving- Annie picked it up, and points out that Denny could sell it and get several thousand dollars, then, when he's reluctant, she goes to do it herself. Denny assumes she's trying to find a way to give him money without hurting his pride, so eats a bunch of Smarties, then calls the "Detective" to tell him that he doesn't buy her story, spilling the beans about where she's going for the drug deal.
Denny wakes up three days later with Boris, the Detective (Andrew Kaempfer) in the room, wanting to know what happened to Annie and the Ecstasy- neither of them showed up. Meanwhile, Annie's fiancé

Ray (Matt Yeager) shows up, and the story gets increasingly bizarre, with Denny and the audience unsure of just what's real. Clues are dropped, twists are revealed, and eventually resolved without explaining why any of it would have happened- nobody's con seems to be very effective or even coherent, mostly relying on luck. An unnecessary epilogue doesn't clarify matters, and

doesn't even deliver a final twist that would allow the script to take refuge in absurdity.
Dial's script keeps the audience guessing and Denny's slacker malapropisms are cute, but it's unclear whether elements drawn from other similar stories like Deathtrap are meant to be allusions or just rip-offs (and spoiler: (highlight to read) the trope of murderous homosexuals is a little old now, and as offensive as ever). The timing of events and motivations of all the characters is unclear, even when explained. The opening scene, all of act I, is also nearly an hour long, and could get to the point much quicker and be more effective and make Denny less annoying.
The acting is fine, with Boyle and Roberts the standouts. Boyle keeps Denny cute even when he's at his most exasperating, and Roberts is believably neither a villain nor a pushover. A medical emergency in the audience didn't even phase them- they paused for a moment, and then picked up right where they left off.
Kel Haney's direction is serviceable, though filled with odd choices.
The Roy Arias space is well-converted into a believable New York apartment, utilizing the actual windows of the space, though noise pollution, both from outside (sirens) and inside (Some loud thumping dance music from the space below). The space is also problematic, in that the audience is SO close to the actors that props can't convincingly be faked, and any theatrical legerdemain or stage combat is difficult to pull off.
The play is interesting, but unsatisfying. There was also free popcorn.

Hollow Log
By Lawrence Dial

Peterkay and Illumination Productions

Roy Arias Studios at the Times Square Arts Center
300 W. 43rd St, 3rd Floor
January 16-February 8th
Runs Thursday-Sunday at 8pm
Tickets $15 available at SmartTix.com or call 212-868-4444
http://www.hollowlogtheplay.com

 

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