Review: HotCity Theatre's Fiendishly Clever Production of SLASHER

I'm a big fright film fan and aficionado, and I've even been to a couple of horror conventions, so playwright Alison Moore's fiendishly clever work, Slasher, is right up my alley. In fact, I was hooked from the opening dinner conversation, which immediately makes mention of film director Tobe Hooper (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre) during a discussion of the much-maligned genre, and winds up turning into a job interview for two "lucky" people. HotCity Theatre provides an alternative to the typical holiday fare with this brilliantly conceived and staged production, and it will certainly warm the cuckolds of any groovy ghoul's heart.

Sheena McKinney is stuck in a dead end job as a waitress when she's suddenly offered a part as the "last girl" (which refers to the girl who makes it all the way to the end of the movie before she's knocked off) in a low budget horror movie. She jumps at the chance, but her disabled mother, Frances, is vehemently opposed to these kinds of films due to an incident stemming from her mistaking the filming of a gory rape scene as a crime scene. Her attempt to do the right thing wound up with her being publicly humiliated, while the filmmaker benefited from the profits generated by the notoriety. Needless to say, she goes ballistic when she finds out that Sheena is set to act in one of these abominations, and she's even more bent out of shape when she finds out the director, Marc Hunter, is the same guy who was shooting the rape scene so many years before. Add in a militant religious faction for good measure, and you've got a sure-fire recipe for fun.

Lavonne Byers is marvelous as the pill-popping, bitter, and driven Frances, careening about the stage in one of those motorized wheelchair type devices with reckless abandon. Natasha Toro is also stellar as her headstrong daughter, Sheena, who's had enough of her mother's pity party, and sees the film as an opportunity to earn enough money to fund her little sister's education and move out. Marcy Weigert makes a favorable impression as Hildy, her playfully pierced sibling.

Chopper Leifheit does strong work as Marc Hunter, a director nearing forty who's desperate for anything he can put on film and sell as product. He's particularly slimy as the action heats up and he begins to lose his cool. James Cougar Canfield is solid as a horror-obsessed assistant named Jody that Marc hires, and Maggie Conroy is good in a number of roles, including a couple of the movie's victims. Colleen Caul chews the scenery as a religious zealot from the so-called Justice League, which is a questionable organization that's not above using violence as a means to an end.

Chuck Harper's direction is pitch perfect, and he capably guides this fine cast through the fast-paced action that unfolds. He's aided by Kimberly Klearman's dramatic lighting and Matthew Koch's atmospheric sound design, which makes great use of some classic modern horror scores like John Carpenter's odd-metered, and unforgettable main title theme for Halloween. Lex Van Blomestein's set design splits the stage in two, which allows for fast crosscutting (yes, I'm using film terminology, because the play is decidedly cinematic in structure) between scenes, and serves the play well, as do Scott Breihan's costumes, and Scott Rocca's props.

HotCity Theatre's production of Slasher is a real treat, and a cool option when pondering the myriad of choices available during the holiday season. Slasher continues through December 18, 2010 at the Kranzberg Arts Center.

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