It’s opening night party of Peter Austin’s new play, Golden Egg, and James Wicker (Peter’s best friend) takes refuge in a bedroom of Julia Budder’s (the producer) Manhattan townhouse. There he meets Gus, a young actor, congenial and avid. Gus has been hired to collect coats, laying them out on the bed, as one does at parties. The coats he collects from various celebrities becomes an ongoing bit. James and Gus strike up a conversation. James is rattled, naturally. But it’s too early for the reviews to come in.
Gus may be wet behind the ears, but he’s personable. James is gabbing on his cell phone, when Virginia Noyes comes in, spouting obscenities like a pro. She has seen better days (most of the characters have) and is indeed the poster girl for the dissolute. Virginia loves the nosecandy (her purse a virtual drug dealer’s dream) and she’s glad to pick up spontaneous opportunities for fast, sloppy sex. Frank Finger arrives next, preeminent, erudite British director, male diva, neurotic mess. He sports sunglasses and a truly ghastly suit coat. (Where the hell did they find it?)
One by one the rest of the characters arrive, each with a stake in Golden Egg’s success. One of the pleasures of Terence McNally’s It’s Only A Play, is being privy to the cogs and gears of how a drama gets staged. He drops a virtually litany lot of names (David Mamet, Lady Gaga, Patti Lupone) exploiting reputation and gossip. Making mischief at their expense. McNally cooks up a strange blend of cynicism and warmth, initially setting up a slow trainwreck, as everyone involved waits for the media verdict. As the characters interact (they mostly know each other) it plays like a parade of eccentricity, foibles, bizarre secrets and wild caricature. I can’t remember the last time I saw rapidfire gags land so beautifully. Make no mistake. Certainly McNally’s comedy is brilliant. Loopy and audacious and risks that only come from a lifetime of refining his craft.
But performing a comedy of this caliber, getting it just right, is so difficult. So painstaking. Director Janette Oswald has guided this crackerjack cast through the demands of blocking, timing, delivery, tone, repartee’, avoiding pitfalls with ease and grace. Chemistry, knowing how and when to react, getting cozy enough to trust intuition, investing in the character and letting that take over, these things don’t come by chance. They come from hard work and gusto. Where doe any actor find the chutzpah to go along with McNally’s gobsmacking lunacy? Snorting coke, dropping trou, over the top narcissism and schmoozing and fighting for the remote. When was the last time you saw a comedy, when the laughter just happened, over and over? Don’t miss this sublime, shamelessly daffy evening at the theatre.
Allen Community Theatre presents It’s Only A Play, playing through July 8th-17th, 2022. 1210 East Main Street, #300, Allen, Texas, 75002. (844) 822-8849 www.AllenContemporaryTheatre.net