Evelyn and William are husband and wife. William is a boisterous movie mogul, Evelyn is a homemaker. She takes an unidentified pill, that William more or less forces on her daily. She is pleasant. But sometimes seems irrational, or a bit out of it. They have no children. They live in a posh home in 1960’s Hollywood. She and neighbor Cassandra visit regularly. When the subject of the notorious Watts Riots comes up, Evelyn doesn’t want to discuss it. William goes to the studio where he auditions rising starlets. Billy and Mary arrive. They are young, affectionate lovers. Mary is looking for her big break. William takes an immediate interest in her.
In Act Two we see a big change in Billy and Mary. Billy has become William’s protege. Mary has gotten lots of serious attention at the studio. Especially from William. She wears “hippie” threads, suggesting perhaps she is more savvy, and not as restrained. Billy wears a three-piece suit, just like mentor William. His whole attitude has changed. He and William indulge in a fair amount of whiskey, while William “tutors” him in studio business culture. When Mary and Evelyn are left to themselves, they start comparing notes on the improprieties that happen during screen tests. Evelyn is an accomplished (albeit retired) star herself, and their stories are very similar.
Written and Directed by Kevin Grammer: Fate Complete is a brilliant, nuanced exploration of systemic sexual harassment and rape culture in the movie trade, and (I think it’s safe to infer)
in similar situations where women have no leverage. The studio transforms actresses into idealized, glamorous film stars, but not before they submit to sexual assault, tacit though it may be.
Evelyn quit film acting prematurely, and when Mary tells Billy she’s been fending off William’s advances, he expects her to play along. There’s a kind of buffered hysteria in Evelyn’s demeanor, probably assuaged by William’s pills. Fate Complete comes from a French expression (fait accompli) that means: done deal or accomplished fact. And so it is with Evelyn and Mary. It’s a given that they (and all women) must forfeit sexual favors to succeed in the patriarchy. That is to say: a male-dominated society.
Ochre House has a gift for impeccable, intriguing theatre, and often quirky, inspired touches. The acting feels more spontaneous, the writing intelligent and intuitive, the sets ingenious, and the narratives haunting. They are obtuse, which is to say, not obvious or predictable. Over the years I have seen enormous puppets, Lamb slaughterers who speak in Shakespearean diction, a musical featuring Charles Manson, Squeaky Fromm and Tex Watson and Intense, hypnotic Flamenco. All of them, phenomenal. Don’t miss this last week of Fate Complete.
Ochre House presents: Fate Complete playing February 8th through March 1st,2025. 325 Exposition Avenue, Dallas, Texas. 214-826-6273. ochrehousetheater.org