NOT EASILY DIGESTED, BUT WELL WORTH THE VIEW
Theater Review – “Taste”
Review by Ray Schillaci
Benjamin Brand’s new play, “Taste,” directed by Stuart Gordon (“Re-Animator: The Musical”) comes with a warning not to be taken lightly. “Due to strong sexual content and imagery, no one under the age of 18 will be admitted.” The Sacred Fools Theater should add, only consenting adults with open minds and strong stomachs should attend and enjoy a night of provocative theater sprinkled with unsettling humor. Now that I got that out of the way and put aside any reservations I may have over the material, I will act like a mature adult and see beyond the shock value that this company provided.
Going in, I was entertained with the fact that one of my favorite cult horror film directors, Stuart Gordon (“Re-Animator,” “From Beyond”) had directed a play involving two men who agree on a very strange arrangement. One will kill, cook and eat the other. Right away, the audience is prepared for dark humor and a bit of violence. What we get is far more than what we bargained for.
Right off the bat DeAnne Millais’ set design and Matt Richter’s lighting makes us feel like a fly on the wall. It’s an unnerving intimate affect that is coupled by the actual delicious smells from the kitchen. If one looks very carefully they can catch wonderful nuances shouting out to the audience regarding the intentions of the play and a slight nod to its creative team (check out Terry’s DVD collection). Even the costume design proves to be telegraphing a message with a glimpse into these very complex characters.
Terry, played fastidiously manic by Donal Thoms-Cappello, is preparing for the consummate cuisine. He is excited, anxious and with a hint of deviousness preparing to meet and eat a very special dinner guest. Watching Terry at work in the kitchen and setting up for the night with his off-putting smile is like watching a tight rope walker. Is that next step going to make us gasp?
Cappello’s portrayal is captivating and only gets better when his other half arrives. Chris L. McKenna delivers Vic as an awkward mess that brings the uneasy humor, sad clown and desperate human being to the forefront. The man bears his lonely soul and it’s more than a performance, it’s a revelation. These two actors command the stage and breathe such empathy into these characters that they almost have us forgetting about the debauchery that comes along with their tale.
Stuart Gordon’s direction not only brings all the nuances some of us may remember from the old “Alfred Hitchcock Presents,” but also delivers his trademark sense of humor and horror. It’s fun at first, then shocking and eventually leaves us breathless with the type of powerhouse production rarely seen. It’s a remarkable feat that brings the playwright’s story to such breathtaking life.
Those who are the slightest bit disturbed by grand guignol or homosexual themes may want to steer clear. That is not to discourage anyone from attending “Taste,” but it serves as a warning for those who could come ill-prepared and may not see past the surface. One must realize that Terry and Vic’s story goes deeper than just an evening of titillation. This is a dire warning of how far loneliness has taken us and the way it is being handled with the age of the internet. Benjamin Brand’s play cries out for us to explore what it’s like to actually feel something again and strip us away of the safety of the numbness (and for some, callousness) so many of us have become accustomed to.
Brand is to be credited with the material that ends up being one of the most uncomfortable yet thought-provoking theatrical experiences since “Equus”. It’s far from mainstream, and caters to only to those who love the originality, power and the art of theater. Brand has a voice that is rarely heard and the Sacred Fools production ends up bringing us to our feet in the end and delivering a well-deserved standing ovation.
“Taste” has been extended to May 31st. I would suggest getting tickets as soon as possible before they sell out. Bring an appetite for an extraordinary night of theater.
Directed by: Stuart Gordon
Sacred Fools Theater
660 N. Heliotrope Dr.
Los Angeles, CA 90004
(310) 281-8337
Thru May 31, 2014
