BWW Reviews: Counter-Productions Excels When They Keep it Simple With SPEED-THE-PLOW

Once upon a time, a director told a group of young students of the theater to, "keep it simple, stupid." I know it happened cause I was there. This idiea of simplicity is not new or confined to theatrical productions, of course. In many facets of our life, simplicity is the way to go. Sticking to theater, though, Counter-Productions Theatre Company's current production of Speed-The-Plow is another good example of why simple is better.

The play is written by David Mamet, a writer who also utilizes a kind of simplicity in his works. They are not simple-minded by any means, often digging deep into important themes, questions and universal human problems. But, his writing is sparse. It's direct and to the point. There isn't anything superfluous or unnecessary. It is razor-sharp and cuts fast and deep.

Mamet has also been a writer who explores his own genre, with plays or movies that deal with writers, playwrights and screenwriters like himself. State and Main and Wag the Dog are two of his most well-known works of this type. Another is Speed-The-Plow, a biting examination of the world of Hollywood studios and movie-making.

At the play's center is one particular maker of movies, Bobby Gould, who has recently been promoted to head of production for a major Hollywood studio. One day, in walks Charlie Fox, an old friend of Bobby's who is also tyring to work his way up the Hollywood ladder. Charlie has a script, with a big-name star already attached, that is sure to be a sure fire hit. Things get complicated when Bobby's new temporary secretary, Karen, enters the picture. The two men place a wager on how far Bobby can get with her romantically, but Karen has her own agenda and may be the real manipulator of the three.

Director Ted Clement keeps things, you guessed it, simple, allowing Mamet's words and his actors' talent to drive the show. Clement doesn't complicate matters with unnecessary staging or blocking. Everything feels natural and relaxed, even though the pace is kept at a rate that never slips into lethargy. At the same time, he shows a talent for creating a beautiful on-stage picture, often staging scenes for maximum tension or dramatic effect.

Clement has also assembled a fine trio of actors. As Bobby Gould, Patrick Cullen looks like he just walked in from an episode of Mad Men. He's perfectly slick but never seems like a shady character. At least not on the surface. There's definitely an occasional twinkle of something almost sinister in his eye but there are also moments of true human feeling, especially when those feelings are hurt in some way. Cullen pulls it all off and remains as smooth and cool as the chrome furniture in Bobby Gould's office.

As Charlie Fox, Charles Lafond doesn't fare as well but comes very close, showing signs of real talent, especially toward the play's end. The problem for Lafond is that he's seriously overacting the nervousness of his character during most of the play. Yes, the character is tense and nervous, but Lafond's shaking and twitching and foot thumping and everything else just come off as annoying and distracting. Especially so in a black box theater, where the audience is up close. In a big proscenium, you need to make sure the people in the cheap seats get that you're nervous, but in a black box, you don't have to do nearly as much to get the point across. Towards the end of the play, when Lafond stopped twitching everywhere, calmed down and just acted, he gave a great performance.

The trio is completed by Ashley Arnold as Karen, the secretary who seems at first to be naïve in the ways of Hollywood and big movie studios. Arnold's performance is nearly perfect, as she never gives away any of what's really going on behind Karen's eyes. The audience needs to believe Karen, believe that she's really this pure, innocent girl, so that the payoff at the end packs a powerful punch. Arnold provides just that believable performance, allowing us to wonder and really question whether Karen is a gentle lamb or a just a wolf in sheep's miniskirt.

Arnold's performance, like Cullen's, proves again that less is more and simple is better. They both keep things from getting muddled in extra, unnecessary actions, movements, etc, and just stick to the truth of their characters. One complaint about the production is that the set design could have followed the less is more example. In such a small, intimate space as the Theatre 82 blackbox, you just don't need so much set with so many pieces of furniture and décor to move around. The change in between scene one and two was unnecessarily long and really stopped the show's momentum.

Counter-Productions Theatre Company is relatively new to the area, having relcoated to Rhode Island from Boston in 2011. They seem to be fitting quite comfortably into Thaetre 82, the new space affiliated with the Artists' Exchange in Cranston. If Counter-Productions keeps offering these kinds of high quality plays, written by the best playwrights, utilizing highly talented actors and excellent directors, they will no doubt succeed. It's just that simple.

Speed-The-Plow runs June 14 and 15 and 7:00pm and 16 at 2:00pm at Theatre 82, at 82 Rolfe Square in Cranston. Tickets are $18. For further information call 401-490-9475 or go to www.artists-exchange.org.

Pictured: (L to R) Ashley Arnold, Patrick Cullen, Charles Lafond.

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