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'Gatherers' hunt grizzly comedy
(by Herb Hammer - July 21, 2010)
THEATER, BY HERB HAMMER
'Gatherers' hunt grizzly comedy
Richard and Pam are preparing for their annual dinner celebration with longtime friends Wendy and Tom. Seems civilized enough. The two couples, now in their mid-30s, have shared this once-a-year get-together since high school.
But early on, playwright Peter Sinn Nactrieb lets you know this is no ordinary dinner party.
Convergence-Continuum, the Tremont theater company known for staging creepy stage pieces, has done it again with "Hunter Gatherers," a brief little grizzly comedy that spins out of control practically before it starts.
Richard, who fancies himself an artful chef, insists on serving fresh lamb for dinner. One way to be sure the lamb is fresh is to slaughter the poor thing right there in the living room. Don't worry, you don't actually see the killing.
When Wendy, who is waiting for husband Tom to park the car, arrives, she practically breaks down the door, convinced that Richard and Pam have been murdered. Why else would they not have answered the door immediately?
And so it goes, brutal, crazy, sexy and wild. Each character appears to be married to the wrong person. Richard wrestles Tom to the floor, an annual event, and Wendy wants to give birth to Richard's baby.
Geoffrey Hoffman's Richard is the perfect cave man. Every word he utters scares the timid Dr. Tom out of his wits. Why Tom has put up with this antagonizing ritual each year is a question that goes unanswered.
As the timid, nearly normal young doctor, Tom Kondilas shines. Though dumbstruck by the crazed cave man Richard and of his wife's increasingly wild behavior, Mr. Kondilas hangs onto Tom's senses as he tries to stay increasingly calm in spite of his dread. He is splendid in the role.
Mr. Hoffman does enough to scare the most seasoned theatergoer. His cooking mania, not to mention his brutal portrayal of Richard, brings about a combination of fear and hilarity. From cook to beast, Mr. Hoffman's Richard is just plain terrific.
As Pam, Lauren B. Smith's portrayal is normal and calm. But how can she stay calm as her crazed husband and loony friend take hilarity to maddening heights? Pam has her own repressed urges, and Miss Smith releases them, turning Pam into the wildest of the four. Miss Smith's turn as Pam carries the play's conclusion.
And then there's Laurel Johnson, who lets us know right off how her wrecked life has turned her into desperation. Her inability to conceive a child has driven her to her friend Richard. But there are more demons inside to drive her mad. Miss Johnson is wonderfully nutty.
As the dinner party progresses into sex and violence and insane comedy, you can't help but wonder which one of the four will remain standing.
Director Clyde Simon loves this kind of mayhem and drives his characters forward. He manages to nail every laugh and keep the grizzly play alive.
"Hunter Gatherers" is always on the move. Calm, straightforward conversation is nonexistent. It's easy to see why these great friends get together only once a year. You wonder why they get together at all.
Mr. Nactrieb makes us laugh and squirm at the same time, a feat hardly possible in other hands. The cast and director at Convergence-Continuum do not let him down for a moment.
"Hunter Gatherers" continues at the Liminis for four more weeks. Phone (216) 687-0074 for tickets.
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