Death hasn’t been this funny in years!  Of all the “afterlife” pieces around, playwright Jeffrey Hartgraves’ is among the best, as it brings together luminaries such as Tennessee Williams, Truman Capote, Oscar Wilde and Quentin Crisp. 

Jesse Merlin-Levi Damione-Leon Acord - Kevin Remington - Curt Bonnem

 

These four departed literary icons are gathered in a comfortable room sipping their favorite liquor attempting to pierce each other with some of the deadliest and wittiest barbs ever penned when Gryphon Tott walks in, dazed and bewildered.  Who is Gryphon Tott, you ask, and why is he thrown in with all these greats?   That’s the crux of the story.  Gryphon, a hopeful writer, had a meeting with his publisher and on the way home he was involved in a subway accident of sorts which sent him from one life to another – and into this room.

 

He thinks he may be in a costume party, amazed at the excellent likeness of the writers – “you guys are really good!”  They try to break it to him gently that this is in fact the other side and that he has indeed shuffled off his mortal coil.  Gryphon is not too eager to accept that.  He is even less receptive when they tell him that his book was actually published and he is now regarded as one of the great dead Gay writers.  GAY! He explodes.  It’s bad enough to be told you’re dead, but to be told you’re gay –well that’s a bit much for Gryphon.

 

So the rest of the play is spent trying to figure out why he was sent to that room that is so clearly defined by the other four.  It’s not that Gryphon is homophobic – he’s just confused!  And so are the others.  Part of the fun evening goes by listening to each give his opinion as to why THEY routed him there and what if anything he should do.  The dialog is so clever and intelligent between the four that you just want it to go on and on.

The four actors who portray the writers are absolutely terrific.  They have channeled their characters to perfection and when you hear Kevin Remington you know that Truman Capote is lurking somewhere in his psyche.  The roguish charm of Tennessee Williams, complete with Southern drawl, is perfectly embodied by Curt Bonnem and you can’t help but marvel at Jesse Merlin’s portrait of Oscar Wilde, with a wonderful bass voice and the ultimate gentlemanly decorum. 

 

Perhaps Leon Acord had the biggest challenge becoming Quentin Crisp, because Crisp was so deliberately over the top.  Acord captures it all and manages to infuse a bit of empathy into a character that is the hub of the action.  Levi Damione plays Gryphon with some hesitation at first but seems to get more into the role after the intermission.  There is a brief interlude where the writers leave the room and suddenly Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas make an all too brief appearance that doesn’t advance the story and is not too clear why they showed up -  but they were fun.

Need one mention the status that Judy Garland enjoys in the gay community?  She’s here too, making a brief appearance with a short medley of favorites sung by Amanda Abel, veteran cabaret singer who gives Garland a spunky and bouncy lift, aided by Alex Egan playing several roles including Frank Nelson, Shakespeare and even Gertrude Stein.  Amanda also plays Alice B. Toklas and later does a Betty Davis who comes off a little more like Tallulah Bankhead, but who keeps score?

 

While most of the play is tongue-in-cheek there are some serious moments when they finally deduce the reason why Gryphon may have been sent to that room.  Issues of ethics, plagiarism and honesty come up and while they are very sobering, they slow down the pace that was gingerly set by Director John Pabros Clark who manages to bring out the best in the ensemble.  There are excellent touches that add to the unearthly feel, like several clocks all stuck at 5:00 (a.m. or p.m.?) and a book that can become any literary volume they want.  The book opens – heavenly music plays and a bright light shines as one of them reads a favorite passage.

 

Overall this is an excellent piece and one that you should ABSOLUTELY try to catch before it closes on August 9, 2009.   The show is a LARILEE PRODUCTIONS, COMBINED ARTFORM, BROKEN DOOR with THEATRE SHARK production.

Theatre Asylum - 6320 Santa Monica Blvd. Hollywood, CA  Reservations at:310-473-5482

www.carvedinstonetheplay.com

Pick of the Week                                                                               Photo Credit: Norm Palley