BWW Reviews: TAPE at Threshold Repertory Theatre

Stephen Belber's TAPE is not for the faint of heart. It's gritty and unyielding and raw, but what makes the story exciting is the way that each characters secrets are revealed over the course of the whole play. The language employed is not delicate- it is very human, which allows the reality of the events described to retain a very strong grip.

The story follows three high school friends as they uncover and deal head-on with a brutal event from their past. Vince is in town to see Jon, a filmmaker who has a movie showing at the Lansing Film Festival. Vince is a drug dealer, semi-violent and vivacious who- it turns out- has deeply ulterior motives. Vince has invited Amy over: his and Jon's ex-girlfriend from high school.

In Greek Theatre, the three rules of drama are known as the 'classical unities'. Unity of Action- Unity of Time- Unity of Place. That is to say, a well structured play would include one main plot which would occur within the course of one day and would take place in one setting. TAPE is written precisely by these rules. The action never leaves Vince's crappy Motel 6 room- The whole play occurs over the course of one night and the main plot line follows what happened between Jon and Amy. This concise storytelling, matched with the intimacy of Threshold's space and three fantastic actors makes for both a shocking and enlightening experience.

Craig Trow plays Vince- the drug peddler whose girlfriends think he's unhinged. He is a loose cannon with a drug-fueled mania that Trow rides like an electric bull. The entire opening scene, which simply involves Vince (who has been asleep on stage) getting up, getting dressed and going to get burgers, eases the audience into the playful, yet somehow sinister world he lives in. Later, as his motives shift his neurosis increases and his hard exterior cracks. Jon is played by Brendan Kelly, and is Vince's opposite in every way. Jon has his life together and has overcome his 'asshole football player' persona from high school. He has truly become a man. He is easily the more likeable character, which becomes challenging when it is revealed that he may have raped Amy back in high school. When faced with the choice to repent or run away, his remorse and steadfastness makes you want to stand up and cheer.

Playing the wild-card character of Amy is Tara Denton-Holwegner. The challenge would be to not make her a victim from the moment she walks through the door, as would be the audiences natural inclination, so what makes Denton-Holwegner's performance so surprising is that she plays it as an empowered woman from the get-go. She has such a calm and steady grace, that even as Amy relives the event her voice doesn't waver. Her body language alone transmits her anger and hatred. She has obviously come to terms with everything on her own. It is left up to the audience whether anything happened at all.

Amy doesn't appear until within the last half hour of the show, but the lessons she has in store turn the entire thing on its head. The language is brazen and modern, the characters are likable and relatable and the whole thing is brutally honest. For anyone who has ever felt remorse, or anyone who has felt wronged, there is something to be found in TAPE.

This production is directed by Jay Danner and runs through April 4. Tickets available at the box office or at www.charlestontheater.com.

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